Parker Tavern
Built in 1694, the Parker Tavern is Reading’s oldest surviving structure and a fine example of a colonial‐era saltbox. Originally owned by blacksmith Abraham Bryant, it served as a tavern under Ephraim Parker during the Revolutionary period and later became a local history museum in 1923. Its preserved wood‐frame construction and granite foundation illustrate early masonry and timber framing techniques still valued by restoration contractors today.
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Phone: 781-944-2957
Joseph Bancroft House
Constructed around 1833, this Federal‐style wood-frame dwelling features a symmetrical five-bay façade with classical pilasters and entablature at its center entrance. Built for Joseph Bancroft, scion of a prominent local milling and shoemaking family, it exemplifies the refined proportions and clapboard siding of early 19th-century civic architecture. Today, its preservation informs best practices in historic envelope repair and window restoration.
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Phone: N/A
Samuel Bancroft House
Dating to 1748, the Georgian-style Samuel Bancroft House is one of Reading’s oldest colonial-period homes. Its five-bay façade and high-set windows reflect mid-18th-century craftsmanship in timber framing and clapboard work. As part of the West Street Historic District, it offers valuable insights into period-correct restoration of early Georgian proportions and moldings.
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Francis Brooks House
Built in the late 1880s, the Francis Brooks House is an exemplary Queen Anne/Stick-style Victorian residence. Its asymmetrical façade, decorative turned porch posts, and Stick-work sunburst motifs showcase the ornate carpentry and patterned shingles prized by 19th-century builders. Preservation of its intricate woodwork informs modern approaches to restoring period-accurate trim and brackets.
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Carter Mansion
Originally built in 1802 in the Federal style and later enhanced with Italianate and Queen Anne features, the Carter Mansion exemplifies adaptive architectural tastes through the 19th century. Its bracketed porches, carved window surrounds, and granite stair engraving embody craftsmanship that restoration masons now strive to replicate. The mansion’s layered history offers a case study in phased exterior envelope renovations.
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Phone: (781) 944-1572
Octagon House
Constructed in 1860 by Dr. Horace Wakefield, the Octagon House uniquely blends Octagon Mode layout with Gothic Revival details. Its timber-frame “log-cabin” construction, central cupola, and zigzag-trim brackets illustrate innovative 19th-century design theories on ventilation and light. The structure informs modern efforts at conserving unusual floor plans and decorative woodwork.
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Joseph Parker House
Built circa 1795, this Federal-style home features a side-gable roof and symmetrical five-bay façade characteristic of post-Revolutionary architecture. Joseph Parker, a local tavern operator and civic figure, commissioned its fine clapboard siding and proportional window placement. The house’s preservation provides insights into early American framing and weather-resistant siding techniques.
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Pierce House
This 1878 Stick/Eastlake residence at 128 Salem Street showcases intricate stickwork and bracketed eaves. The house’s steeply pitched roof and patterned shingle ornamentation illustrate late-Victorian attention to carpentry detail. Restoration of its ornate trim guides modern contractors in replicating period-accurate millwork.
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Pratt House
Built in 1809, the Pratt House is a transitional Georgian/Federal wood-frame dwelling. Its single-room-deep plan and rear shed-roof extension reflect early 19th-century vernacular building techniques. The house’s preservation illustrates best practices in maintaining original timber-framing and clapboard exteriors.
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Stillman Pratt House
Circa late 1840s, this Greek Revival variant features corner Doric pilasters, a full-width porch supported by fluted columns, and architrave window surrounds. Its high-pitched gables and period pilaster details make it a rare local example of mid-19th-century style. Restoration of its masonry-style roof overhang and wood columns informs current preservation of classical forms.
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Wendell Bancroft House
Built in the late 1860s in the Gothic Revival style, the Wendell Bancroft House features steeply pitched gables, pointed-arch trim, and board-and-batten siding. Constructed for a leading local businessman, it remains one of Reading’s few surviving Gothic residences. Its conservation provides guidance on repairing vertical siding and ornamental trim.
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Roberts House
The 59 Prospect Street Roberts House, dating to 1884, blends Colonial Revival massing with Craftsman-style porch details. Its balanced façade and stone foundation illustrate late Victorian masonry preferences. Restoration of its brick chimneys and wooden porches offers practical lessons in matching historic mortar profiles and carpentry joinery.
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Eaton–Prescott House
Built around 1757, this Georgian/Genevan‐Revival dwelling at 284 Summer Ave features original clapboard siding and symmetrical fenestration. Owned by prominent nursery magnate Jacob Manning’s family, its adaptive uses illustrate colonial-era construction longevity. Preservation of its hand-hewn timbers guides current structural stabilization methods.
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Luther Elliott House
At 309 Haven Street, the 1830s Luther Elliott House exemplifies Greek Revival form with its side-gable roof and classical cornice returns. Its well-preserved façades and sash windows demonstrate early-19th-century carpentry and fenestration standards. Conservation of its wooden cornices informs modern restoration of period millwork.
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Stephen Hall House
This 1888 Queen Anne residence blends patterned shingles, asymmetrical massing, and decorative spindlework. Located near Reading’s center, it stands as a local landmark of Victorian civic pride. Its restoration underscores the importance of matching historic woodwork profiles and shingle patterns.
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William Parker House
Built in 1851 at 55 Walnut Street, this Italianate residence features bracketed eaves, tall narrow windows, and a low-pitched roof. The masonry foundation and ornate cornice brackets highlight mid-19th-century design preferences. Its conservation informs modern approaches to repairing decorative eaves and masonry foundations.
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Washington Damon House
Constructed in 1842, this Federal-style home at 38 Salem Street features side-gable orientation, clapboard siding, and refined door surrounds with entablature. Washington Damon’s home remains an archetype of civic-era domestic architecture. Its preservation informs repair of original clapboards and Federal-period door surrounds.
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Joseph Temple House
This 1872 Second Empire wood-frame at 42 Chute Street is marked by its mansard roof and elaborate dormer trim. Commissioned by necktie manufacturer Joseph Temple, it embodies industrial-era prosperity and detailed carpentry. Its conservation informs modern work on slate roofing and decorative dormer restoration.
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Mark Temple House
Built in 1892 at 141 Summer Ave, the Mark Temple House displays Queen Anne and Stick-style features, including patterned shingles and wrap-around porches. Its masonry foundation and ornamental woodwork reflect late-Victorian carpentry excellence. Preservation of its turret and shingle patterns guides current exterior restoration practices.
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Reading Municipal Building
Completed in 1885 and designed by Horace G. Wadlin, this Renaissance Revival brick building served as town offices, a jail, and a fire station. Its round-arch openings and Stick/Eastlake wood tower details make it a civic-era architectural landmark. Its adaptive reuse as a senior center provides a model for converting historic public structures.
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Phone: (781) 942-9001
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