History

Cabot House, originally called South House until 1985, was named in honor of Thomas and Virginia Cabot, benefactors of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges. It consists of six brick halls surrounding the grassy Radcliffe Quadrangle and is home to about 380 undergraduates, along with tutors, faculty members, and scholars. The House that would later become Cabot was established in 1970 through the merger of East and South Houses. Anna Maria Abernathy served as the first Head of House, and she and her husband Fred were Cabot’s inaugural House Masters. In 1971, Radcliffe President Mary Bunting succeeded her as House Master.

All six of Cabot’s main residential halls were originally dormitories of Radcliffe College. Until 1970, the Quadrangle housed women exclusively. That year, as part of an initiative known as “the great experiment,” the University invited a select group of Harvard College men to live there, marking the beginning of co-residential housing at the Quad. Among these pioneering residents was Dean Gross, who would later serve as Dean of Harvard College.

Bertram Hall, Radcliffe’s first permanent dormitory, was built in 1901 and donated by Mrs. David Pulsifer Kimball in memory of her son. Five years later, in 1906, Mrs. Kimball also funded the construction of Eliot Hall, named in honor of Grace Hopkinson Eliot, wife of Harvard President Charles W. Eliot. Both Bertram and Eliot Halls were designed by architect Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, Jr.

Barnard Hall followed in 1912, named for Augusta Barnard and her husband. In 1923, Briggs Hall was constructed and dedicated to LeBaron Russell Briggs, Radcliffe’s second president. Cabot Hall, named for Ella Lyman Cabot—who served on the Radcliffe Governing Board from 1902 to 1934—was added in 1937. The sixth building, Whitman Hall, completed in 1911, was named for Sarah Wyman Whitman, an artist who created two stained glass windows in Memorial Hall and also served on the Radcliffe Governing Board.

Today, the Masters’ residence is located at 107 Walker Street, and a nearby wood-frame house at 103 Walker Street serves as the home of the Allston Burr Resident Dean.

Cabot House blends the charm of its historic architecture with the vitality of evolving traditions. While the exteriors of its classic brick dormitories have remained unchanged, extensive renovations—completed nineteen years ago and again in the summer of 2002—brought modernized facilities, reconfigured suites, plentiful single rooms, and bright, inviting common spaces.

Today, Cabot House thrives on a balance of tradition and innovation. Annual events such as the spring musical, sporting outings, Straus Cup celebrations, the Dutch Auction, and the newer Festivus celebration have become cherished parts of House life. Together, they reflect the vibrant spirit and inclusive community that make Cabot a supportive and enriching home for all its students.