The Kendall Hotel at Engine 7 Firehouse
History
Kendall Square is formed by the junction of Main Street and Broadway, once a residential neighborhood adjacent to the city’s wharves and canals. The area was originally known as Dock Square, but was renamed in 1890 in honor of Deacon Edward Kendall, founder of the Kendall & Roberts Boiler Factory. By then, it was a diverse conglomeration of foundries, factories and industrial plants. In 1895, the red brick building at 350 Main Street began faithfully serving the citizens of Cambridge as the Fire Department’s Engine 7 Station.
While the station remained in operation for the next century, the neighborhood around it saw dramatic changes. In 1912, the subway system was completed, connecting Harvard Square to Boston. A few years later, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology moved to its present location. Following World War II, many of the area’s manufacturing firms relocated and left a trail of abandoned buildings behind them. Many were demolished in the 1960s to make way for Technology Square and the city of Cambridge undertook revitalization efforts in the 1970s.
