Mr. Rudolph's 70 year
Journey, from an Immigrant Lad to an American
Patriot,
sums up the American
Experience, in that he is a Brother, of the
Patriotic Band of Brothers, that Washington
spoke of, that, through the generations, have
defended the freedom of the United States of
America, and that are honored here at Fort
Washington. As Mr. Rudolph said,
"Fort Washington is a symbol and a vision,
a reminder of what we are, where we came
from", and what we can do," and thanks
to Mr. Rudolph, Fort Washington, a Symbol of
American freedom, is not just another
parking
lot.
Stuart Rudolph, son of Fort
Washington Protector, Bernard Rudolph - with Gardner's
Regiment == Charlestown Militia Company,
attended the Fort Washington Rededication
Ceremony.
GAVIN
W. KLEESPIES, Executive Director of Cambridge
Historical Society 10-03-2009
Madrilène Lord
(back) - Artist of Sculptures. 10-03-2009
Restoration Work
Spring 2009
Restoration Work
Spring 2009
Martian
Annis crossing of
the Grand Junction railroad between,
Cambridgeport & MIT.
A
lightly-used railroad line separates the MIT
campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA from the
Cambridgeport residential and industrial
areas. No street crosses the tracks for
many blocks, between Massachusetts Avenue and
Memorial Drive. In the 1970s, there was
also no formal crossing for bicyclists and
pedestrians. People who knew the neighborhood
would walk across parking lots to cross the
tracks, where lifting bicycles over the tracks,
was required. Sometimes the tracks were blocked
by strings of parked railroad cars. Circus
train of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum &
Bailey Circus, parked on the
Grand Junction Railroad in
back of MIT in Cambridge,
Massachusetts - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circus_train
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Speech
Fort Washington BRIAN CAMPBELL 10-03-2009 Fort
Washington – 95 Waverly Street, Cambridge MA
02139
1. The American
Revolution: 1775 to 1783
In a letter to
Joseph Reed dated November 27, 1775, George
Washington, wrote, " I
have caused two half Moon Batterries to be
thrown up for occasional use, between
Litchmore's more's Point and the mouth of
Cambridge River;"
(Charles River) . Of the many siege fortifications
built, only the Three Gun Battery Earthworks
at Fort Washington Park survive in an original
condition. After, the Battle of Bunker Hill on
June 17th 1775, Volunteer soldiers, worked for
9 months building dozens of siege
fortifications, in a Ring, around Boston.
Henry Knox’s volunteer soldiers and
teamsters, hauled Heavy Siege Cannons, from
Fort Ticonderoga, New York, 300 miles, to
Cambridge Common. Four Thousand (4000)
American Soldiers placed them on Dorchester
Heights on the night of March 4th 1776,
forcing the British evacuation of Boston on
March 17, 1776. The British never did return
and on March 17th, we celebrate Evacuation Day
/ St. Patrick’s Day, and Washington’s
First Victory.
Washington,
George, 1732-1799. The writings of George
Washington from the original manuscript
sources: Volume 4
Electronic
Text Center, University of Virginia Library| Table
of Contents for this work || All
on-line databases | Etext
Center Homepage |
2. Fort Washington Park built
1857
(1783 to 1865)
At the end of the
Revolution, the Dana family, who owned most of
Cambridgeport, protected the Three Gun Battery
Earthworks. In 1857, these were deeded to
Cambridge. The best statement about the
transfer to the city of the Fort Washington
property seems to be that contained in the
Historic Guide to Cambridge, compiled by
members of Hannah Winthrop Chapter, DAR, in
1907, on page 179. It is as follows:
The three gun
battery at the foot of Allston Street retains
the semblance of a fort, and is called Fort
Washington. The land where this battery was
thrown up had been held in common
from the close of
the Revolution till 1857, when it was deeded
to the city by the following persons: Edmund
T. and Elizabeth Hastings, Mary E. Dana,
Joseph A. and Penelope Willard, John and
Hannah B. Bartlett. A fund of $800 was also
turned over to the city, by these people who
cared for this plot of historic land. The
conditions named in the deed were as follows: "that
the above premises when suitably enclosed and
adorned by said city, shall forever remain
open for light, air, and adornment, for the
convenience and accommodation of the owners of
estates in said Pine Grove, and of the Public
generally." The
city accepted this gift and with the
assistance of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts proceeded to restore this
battery to its original condition, to build a
substantial fence around it and to erect a
flagstaff. The secretary of war gave three
Eighteen Pound American guns, and the
Secretary of the Navy gave the gun carriages.
The state legislature voted to appropriate the
sum of $2000. "provided
the city of Cambridge shall appropriate a sum
sufficient to complete the said fence at a
cost of not less than four thousand dollars
and said Fort Washington shall always be
accessible to the public, and that said city
shall always keep the fence proposed to built,
in good repair." The
Cambridge City Directory 1861 reported the
Earthworks to be five years old in appearance
and in excellent condition and the total cost
was $9,504.05.
3. The Industrialization of
Cambridgeport and Isolation of Fort Washington
1865 to 1930
The Late 1800’s saw Cambridgeport
rapidly industrialize. JOHN REARDON & SONS
a soap and candle business (1878) was located
on the SE side of Fort Washington. These and
other like
Businesses gave the Cambridgeport Neighborhood
the nickname of "Greasy
Village".
The Charles River Tidal "Oyster
Flats" on the south side of
Fort Washington were filled, creating new
land, isolating Fort Washington a ¼ mile from
the Charles River. Thus, Fort Washington
became a place avoided and was vandalized. The
Hannah Winthrop Chapter Daughters of the
American Revolution restored Fort Washington
in 1905, and quoted, History of Cambridge, Massachusetts
1630-1877, Lucius R. Paige "Let
no unpatriotic hand destroy this revolutionary
relic, now known as Fort Washington." in
their book HISTORIC GUIDE TO CAMBRIDGE-1907.
4. Bernard Rudolph
Square and the Restoration of Fort Washington
(1930 – 2009)
Bernard Rudolph
(Bernie), arrived in Cambridgeport in 1921 at
age 10, escaping Russian persecution with his
mother, Rose and sisters, joining his Father,
Hymie who emigrated here earlier. Of
Cambridgeport’ Bernie said, "from
the aroma of fat-rendering then in the area.
On a hot day, when the smell mixed with that
coming from chocolate factory, the mixture
boggled the senses." Bernard
Rudolph (Bernie) grew up in Cambridgeport,
served in WWII and returned to Cambridgeport
with his Wife Marion and raised a Son, Stuart
and daughters, Sandra and Lois. He became
president of Cambridge Post 35 Jewish War
Veterans. By the Early 1960’s Fort
Washington had become fully enclosed by
defunct St. Johnsbury Trucking Company. Bernie
witnessed Fort Washington’s decline over
many years saying "During
the Depression, people ripped sections off the
fence to sell to junkyards. Through the years,
it suffered from a bad case of neglect.
"The flagpole, the cannon, the fence, and
the mounds [of earthworks] showed that
no one cared," he
said, "If
commercial and political allies had prevailed
then, the fort would be a parking lot
today." His
goal, Mr. Rudolph said, was "just
and simple: That this historic fort should not
become another dump for snow in the winter and
a parking lot for trailers in the
summer." Before
the 1960s, before Mr. Rudolph launched his
campaign to save the park around 1967, the
fact that it was generally ignored, bothered
him. In 1968, with the help of his wife,
Marion K. Rudolph, they organized raffles and
other events and raised $1075 dollars for the
installation of a new flagpole at the park.
Bernie Rudolph and his son Stuart, would raise
the flag every morning and lower it every
evening, for five years, flying flags procured
by Tip O'Neill, the late speaker of the House
who represented this neighborhood, until,
Bernie got the city and the utility company to
put lighting in so the flag could be displayed
around the clock. Ceremonies held at Fort
Washington, on Flag Day, June 14th, were
attended by the Late Senator, Ted Kennedy,
Attorney General, Elliot Richardson and
veteran organizations.
Fort Washington was
listed on the U.S. National Register of
Historic Places in 1973. By 1975, with
interest aroused by the bicentennial, Mr.
Rudolph's diligence finally paid off. Mr.
Rudolph gained allies like the DAR, and M.I.T.
Professor, Douglas Adams. The Cast Iron Fence
was eventually restored to it’s approximate
1859 appearance at a cost of over $400,000,
much of it Bicentennial and National Park
Funds. Archeology studies confirmed the
Revolutionary Earthworks are "original
and fragile". In
the Cambridge City Directory, 1861, the author
wishes a Statue of Colonel Richard C. Gridley,
who probably designed the Three Gun Battery,
adorn the site. The Madeline Lord Relief
Sculptures, of Common Soldiers, modeled on
Re-enactors, represent the Spirit of the over
16,000 American Soldiers that took part in the
"Siege of Boston", better, than the
likeness of an individual. These are a welcome
reminder of who this Park honors. On October,
11th, 1998, in recognition of his efforts,
the Cambridge City Council named the Fort
Washington Area Bernard Rudolph Square. At the
ceremony, Mr. Rudolph spoke affectionately about his Wife, Marion "my
chief aide, my greatest critic and my biggest
supporter." Those
at the ceremony said it was typically Bernie
to mention all the people who helped him his
effort to save Fort Washington Park, including
his "pro bono
attorney Eddy Applestein," Cambridge
Post 35 Jewish War Veterans, and the late
Pasquale Reale, director of veterans' services
for Cambridge, and his four grandchildren and
daughter-in-law. Mr. Rudolph's 70
year Journey, from an Immigrant Lad to an
American Patriot, sums up the American
Experience in that he is a Brother of the
Patriotic Band of Brothers that Washington
spoke of. That through the generations have
defended the freedom of the United States of
America, that are honored here at Fort
Washington. As Mr. Rudolph said "Fort
Washington is a symbol and a vision, a
reminder of what we are, where we came
from", and what we can do," and
thanks to Mr. Rudolph, Fort Washington, a
Symbol of American freedom, is not just
another parking lot.
5. References:
5.1. The Cambridge City Directory
1861
5.2. HISTORIC GUIDE TO
CAMBRIDGE-1907, Hannah Winthrop Chapter
Daughters of the American Revolution
5.3. History of Cambridge,
Massachusetts 1630-1877, Lucius R. Paige
5.4. Boston Globe 10-11-1998
"Raising the Flag for a Friend" by
Gloria Negri – Globe Staff--http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8515667.html
5.5. FORT WASHINGTON IN CAMBRIDGE -
CHARLES W. SHERMAN – BELMONT MASSACHUSETTS
– 1950
Gardner's
Regiment == Charlestown Militia Company,
attended the Fort
Washington Rededication Ceremony
2009-10- 03. Pvt. Andrew
Brown and Lt. Mike Bonislawski proudly
display the Gardner's Regiment banner on
Cambridge Common.



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