History
History of the Mary Prentiss Inn, a Cambridge Massachusetts Hotel
Located in Harvard Square, the hotel boasts a history as rich as its design. The story of this Cambridge, Massachusetts hotel begins in December of 1991 when local artist Charlotte Forsythe purchased the house at 6 Prentiss Street in Cambridge with a vision of turning it into an inn. She knew little at that time about its past. As she and her husband, Gerald Fandetti, began their renovation project, Forsythe researched the history of the property and its former inhabitants.
William A. Saunders, a well-known architect, built the house at 6 Prentiss Street in 1843 as a wedding gift for his son William, deacon of the former Shepherd Church , and his son’s wife, Mary Prentiss. The Neo-classical design was typical of the Greek revival that dominated American architecture in the 19th century. The Saunders, who owned much of the land in the area, lived in the house for 55 years. They were followed by the Taylors, a prominent Cambridge family.
The Taylors bought the neglected home and repaired it, living there until Dr. Frederick Taylor died in the ‘20s flu epidemic. By the time Forsythe purchased the property, it had gone through a number of incarnations before becoming the great Cambridge, Massachusetts hotel and inn known as the Mary Prentiss Inn, including a hostelry and a nursing home.
