Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
on the left-hand side of the street as you
cross John F. Kennedy, Dunster, Holyoke,
and Linden streets. On your left between
Dunster and Holyoke streets is
Holyoke
Center,
an administration building
designed by Josep Luis Sert that has com-
mercial space on the ground floor.
The corner of Mount Auburn and Linden streets
offers a good view of the:
)
Harvard Lampoon Castle
Constructed in 1909, designed by Wheel-
wright & Haven (architects of Boston's
Horticultural Hall), and listed on the
National Register of Historic Places, this is
the home of Harvard's undergraduate
humor magazine, the
Lampoon.
The
main tower resembles a face, with win-
dows as the eyes, nose, and mouth, topped
by what looks like a miner's hat. All five of
the building's addresses have been men-
tioned on “The Simpsons,” which draws
many of its writers from the staff. The
Lampoon
and the daily student newspaper,
the
Crimson,
share a long history of recip-
rocal pranks and vandalism. Elaborate
security measures notwithstanding,
Crim-
son
editors occasionally make off with the
bird that you might see atop the castle (it
looks like a crane but is actually an ibis),
and
Lampoon
staffers have absconded with
the huge wooden president's chair from
the
Crimson.
You'll pass the
Crimson
on your right if
you detour to the
Harvard Book Store
(turn left onto Plympton St. and follow it
to the corner of Mass. Ave.). Otherwise,
cross Mount Auburn Street and walk
away from Holyoke Center on Holyoke
Street or Dunster Street to get a sense of
some of the rest of the campus. The tower
directly in front of you sits atop Lowell
House, one of a dozen residences for
upperclassmen (first-year students live in
and around Harvard Yard).
Turn right on Winthrop Street or South Street,
and proceed to Kennedy Street. Turn left and
follow Kennedy Street toward the Charles River.
On your right at Memorial Drive is:
q
John F. Kennedy Park
In the 1970s, when the search was on for
a site for the Kennedy Library, this lovely
parcel of land was an empty plot near the
MBTA train yard (the Red Line then
ended at Harvard). Traffic concerns led to
the library's being built in Dorchester, but
the
Graduate School of Government
and this adjacent park bear the president's
name. Walk away from the street to enjoy
the fountain, which is engraved with
excerpts from JFK's speeches. This is a
great place to take a break and plan the
rest of your day.
