Historic Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House in Cambridge celebrates 120th anniversary

CAMBRIDGE - It's been years since George Greenwich Sr. and his son walked the halls of the Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House on 71 Cherry St. in Cambridge together.

"Everything that was meaningful to you was done here," Greenwich Sr. said. "We played sports…it was a meeting place. It was a happy place."  

For generations, their family has utilized the services the organization provides.   

"You're talking about going back to about 1954, 53," Greenwich Sr. said. "Well my mother was a book keeper here. And the Margaret Fuller House was like a temple to us. It was the place to be."

George Greenwich Jr. worked with the MFNH for college programs.

"Anytime I walked by this building with my grandmother, she would tell me these great historical stories about the Margaret Fuller House and what it meant," Greenwich Jr. said.

The legacy of the MFNH spans two centuries.

In 1902, it was one of the first settlement houses in the US and originally a place where young women working in factories could gather and get resources.

"There's a lot going on here that's having systemic impact in the community and it's a small house doing really big things," Selvin Chambers, MFNH Vice President of the Board of Directors, said.

Over the years it transformed into a place the entire community could use to host events, learn skills, and even host a Black Panther radio station. 

"My older brother started the radio station here that only broadcasted to the housing development," Chambers said. "When he was on the station we would sit in the lobby and listen to him as a DJ and we thought we were hot stuff because we were listening to someone from the neighborhood who had a radio station."

Now they provide youth programs, financial assistance, free food and community advancement services.

"For me being on the board and then realizing my mother was on the board and knowing that my brothers and sisters came to programs here at the house, I felt indebted to really give back to make a difference for the house that helped foster my brothers and sisters," Chambers said.

They're now celebrating their 120th year of providing services to the local community with a gala. 

You can find information on how to attend on their website.