What's In That House?

I’m on a mission to discover what’s going on in some of the unmarked houses around Harvard Square. I decided to begin with 101-103 Plympton Street. Overshadowed by Lowell’s breathtaking grandeur, it was really easy to miss the relatively modest, three-story house that is my destination. While I cannot find a way inside the house (and believe me, I tried), I can only imagine what the view is like from the rooms. Propping your head out of one of the windows, you could gawk at the beautiful river and enjoy the cool breeze of the wind. This has to be as close as you could come to living in a secluded “beach” house around here. The structure is graduate student housing.

My next destination is 53 Dunster St., where Dean of Freshmen Thomas A. Dingman ’67 currently resides. Looking at the house, I would never imagine that it was originally built over a century ago. It looks like the stereotypical, white-picket-fenced, American-Dream house.

My final stop for the day is 53 Church St., also known as the Church Street Computer Facility. While I did try to limit my expectations, I do have to admit that I went there expecting a futuristic, Jetsons-style building. It was not. If anything, it was a very warm welcoming home (in contrast to 53 Dunster St.). The carpeting, the ample sunlight from all the windows, and the overwhelm- ing number of potted plants made this non-residential house feel like a home more than any other that I’ve visited that day. (Every room was saturated with computers so it definitely lives up to its name.) Stepping out the back exit, I find a cute seating area tucked between the trees. After a (not so) long day of exploration, I end up sitting in this quiet little spot enjoying the clear sky and my new miniature secret garden.