Harvard Lampoon

Description
Historic preservation of a landmark building in Harvard Square

Site
Highly-trafficked Cambridge intersection

Design
This beloved building was originally designed by Boston architect Edmund March Wheelwright in 1909. Wheelwright was a founding member of the Harvard Lampoon, the now-famous student-run humor magazine. Affectionately known as "The Castle," the building draws on Dutch influences to stand in irreverent contrast to the staid buildings of Harvard Yard.

ART has been working with the Lampoon since 2009 on a range of projects. We brought the Castle up to modern fire safety codes with a new sprinkler system and fire escape, a project which received the Massachusetts Historical Commission Award in 2017. Most recently, we reconstructed the building's original clay-tile roof, using the same tile manufacturer as Wheelwright had used in 1909, and restored the building's exterior, which received a Cambridge Historical Commission Award in 2024. Our interior projects have included various renovations, including a new kitchen, new bathrooms, and a new basement newsroom which has become the primary workspace for the student publication.