Friends of the Longfellow House

The Friends of the Longfellow House is a volunteer nonprofit that supports the Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site in Cambridge. The house served as General George Washington’s headquarters at the beginning of the American Revolution, and the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow later lived there. The Friends work alongside the National Park Service to keep that layered history alive for future generations.

The group was founded in 1994 specifically to work cooperatively with the Park Service on behalf of the site. Its support takes several forms, including an art research fellowship program, conservation and restoration work, and programming tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary. The Friends also speak up for the national parks more broadly, describing them as a source of inspiration, reflection and unity.

What to Know

• Washington used the house as his headquarters in 1775 and 1776.
• Longfellow lived in the house from 1837 until his death in 1882.
• The Friends are a member of the Harvard Square Business Association.