Pillars & Foundations

Union Baptist Church, Cambridge, Massachusetts Situated on Main St. in Cambridge in a rapidly changing community, Union Baptist Church has been an institution of the city certainly contributing in many ways to the well being of its citizens. As someone who has worked nearby for many years, it is remarkable what you can walk by frequently, take for granted, and never take time to appreciate. This unusual church, a mostly wooden structure with gothic features and a slate roof hides amongst the remnants of a past industrial age, triple decker tenement buildings, and a growing skyline of glass and metal, bohemian boutiques and cafes, all in the shadow of MIT. I like to write a bit about these community anchors on these posts rather than simply sharing photographs. The history is always fascinating and Union Baptist has great resources to this regard on their website . In the late 1800s this congregation had its beginnings in the basements of residents, and it evolved into a promin...

St. Augustine Church, Cambridge, MA I accidentally stumbled upon St. Augustine when I was navigating back roads in Cambridge travelling around for work. At the time I just glimpsed this unique structure quickly in passing, and I knew I had to investigate further. With its unique look, tar paper siding and perseverance in a neighborhood rapidly gentrifying from lower/working class to high end condos and tech complexes I feared a bit that it could slip away, and the wire fence I saw in the corner of my eye left me worried that it could be slated for demolition to be replaced with some neo-Bauhaus wonder.  Immediately after work that night I trekked out to it, perhaps a few quarters of a mile out of the way. I took several photos but they were all grainy (one is included at the bottom of this post) due to the poor lighting. I was happy to see that a large banner announced a restoration effort. Lucky for this structure, its significant history had been recognized as releva...