Bancroft, Joseph, House
Why it's listed
This clapboard house at 101 Lowell Street in Reading was built around 1831-1835 by Joseph Bancroft on the portion of his father's large estate that he inherited. His brother received the part across Lowell Street. The house does not appear on an 1830 map, and because Bancroft married in 1833, construction is thought to date from about then. It sits on a granite foundation on a hill facing south, behind a fieldstone retaining wall. The house is described as a fine local example of the Georgian-Federal vernacular type, with generous proportions, a deep sill and well-defined cornice molding. Its doorway has pilasters with entasis on pedestals, finely molded capitals and a tall Doric entablature. Windows are small but set lower than customary, and are asymmetrically placed on the side facade. A one and one-half story east extension replaced an earlier one shown on an 1854 map. The property is valued as an example of family land passed down within early settling families and for its link to the Bancroft family.
Significance in brief: It is presented as an example of houses built on family land by later generations of early settling families, and it is tied to the locally important Bancroft family. It is also considered an excellent example of vernacular Federal architecture with a particularly fine doorway and well-defined cornice molding.
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 84002467, listed July 19, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 101 Lowell St., Reading |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 19, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002467 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Joseph Bancroft (original owner and builder); architect not stated |
| Architectural style | Federal (Georgian-Federal vernacular) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and feeling; a one and one-half story extension was added on the east in 1955. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.52825, -71.10839 (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 84002467.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6281312
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.