Cambridge sketches
Estelle M. H. Merrill, Ed.

[33] with Washington is overshadowed by the associations with our much loved and greatly honored poet. He first occupied the southeast chamber, and it was in this room that all of his poems from 1837 to 1845 were written. Later the room below this on the first floor was used by him as a study, and it remains to-day precisely as the poet left it in 1882.

The grounds of the Craigie estate extended to the house on the right-hand side of Brattle street, formerly at the west corner of Sparks street, occupied by John Brewster, which was removed about 1887 or 1888 to the corner of Riedesel avenue. This was the residence of Judge Richard Lechmere, and later in 1771 the home of Judge Jonathan Sewall. He was attorney-general, and fled on the breaking out of hostilities in 1775. It was in this house that Baron Riedesel and his wife were quartered after his capture with Burgoyne's army, and from which the baroness wrote the letters which are now of so much historical interest. The house has been greatly altered and is now decidedly modern in appearance.

We next come to the old Lee house, on the right hand side of Brattle street just above Appleton street, now known as the Nichols house. By some this is considered the oldest building in Cambridge. The frame of this edifice was brought from England, as the Reverend Daniel Waldo who built it feared there were no workmen in this country capable of erecting a house of this description. His name was written with a diamond on one of the window panes. The house was built in the most substantial manner, the partitions between the rooms being a foot thick, and the depth of the outer walls is shown by the wide window seats. The walls