Cooper-Frost-Austin House

DREAM was hired by Historic New England to perform a feasibility study for the Cooper Frost Austin House Museum. The house is the oldest dwelling standing in the City of Cambridge.

Built by Samuel Cooper in 1681, the house is one of the earliest examples of an integral lean-to “half-house.” Shortly after Samuel Cooper’s death in 1718, his son Walter extended the house to the west, thus completing the main block of the house and presenting the current symmetrical façade. Succeeding generations undertook various alterations to both the interior and exterior.

After being used primarily as a residence for over four decades and rarely being open to the public, DREAM worked with Historic New England to study preservation, innovation, and community-focused programming. Our study included an evaluation of existing conditions, site use, accessibility and space layout to achieve the goal of a first floor public program space, second floor apartment rental, as well as a review of local zoning and building codes.