Manley, William M., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1876 for mason and builder William M. Manley, this brick house and its carriage house sit on a corner lot at Cherry and Linden Streets in Fall River, within a block of the Highland Historic District. The house is a symmetrical two-and-a-half-story cube under a low hipped roof, with arched windows, granite sills, bevelled brick crowns, wide overhanging eaves, brackets and a block-and-molding cornice. Brick was an unusual residential material in the city. Manley lost the property within a few years to debt, and it later passed through a Baptist society and several private owners. In 1915 a wood addition of storefronts, bay windows and a piazza was added to the front, and the interior was divided into four apartments. The nomination values both periods: the 1876 design as a rare brick Italianate example, and the 1915 changes as evidence of rising housing demand and changing neighborhood fortunes. The building was rehabilitated by 1985.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the property is an intact, rare example of brick Italianate residential architecture in Fall River (Criterion C). It also holds that the 1915 storefront and bay addition and division into four apartments reflect the city's shift from single-family housing to multi-unit living during rapid industrial growth (Criteria A and C).
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 86001401, listed June 26, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 610 Cherry St., Fall River |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | June 26, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001401 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built for William M. Manley, a mason and builder |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Derelict since 1981, then rehabilitated by July 1985; described as in excellent condition with 1876 and 1915 fabric retained. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.70483, -71.14795 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 86001401.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8014908
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.