{"nrhp_refnum":"82001912","name":"Manning Manse","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"56 Chelmsford Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Billerica","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.58441211200005,"lon":-71.30148274899994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-08-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Landscape Architecture","Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A late 17th-century framed timber house at 56 Chelmsford Road in Billerica, Massachusetts, on a 3.9-acre lot surrounded by Manning State Forest. It is thought to have been built in 1696 by Samuel Manning.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is significant for its role in Billerica's development, as probably the first farmstead settled west of the Concord River. It is also tied to landscape architect Warren H. Manning, who restored it, and to William Manning, author of The Key of Liberty. It is further valued as an early effort to preserve and restore a 17th-century family homestead.","narrative":"Built around 1696 by Samuel Manning, this two-and-a-half-story timber-framed house on Chelmsford Road in Billerica is an example of plain, sturdy late 17th-century colonial building. It has projecting timber window frames, a lean-to, a large central chimney and panelled interiors. It was probably the first farmstead settled west of the Concord River, and it served as a tavern from 1752 into the early 1800s. William Manning, author of The Key of Liberty (1798), lived there. After decades of decay in the late 19th century, landscape architect Warren H. Manning leased the house in 1899 and carried out a well-documented restoration, then assembled the open land that became Manning State Forest around it. The family association later furnished the house with family pieces and leased it as a tea room and then a restaurant to pay for upkeep. The grounds may also hold archaeological remains, including a Revolutionary War saltpeter house foundation.","period_of_significance":"1696","architect_builder":"Samuel Manning","architectural_style":"Plain, substantial colonial architecture of the late 17th century","criteria":["A","B","C"],"status_note":"Occupied; the Manning Association leases the building as a restaurant, which continues to operate. It was restored 1899-1912, with later additions.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:57.686044-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/72/7955/63795572/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/82001912.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82001912/08a2133275-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82001912/08a2133275-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BillericaMA_ManningManse.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">User:Magicpiano</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BillericaMA_ManningManse.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63795572","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manning_Manse","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6750872"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/manning-manse-82001912/"}