Bickford, John, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1735 at 235 Elm Street in North Reading, this gambrel-roofed house is a 2 1/2 story, five-bay, central-chimney frame dwelling covered in clapboard. John Bickford bought the land in 1733 from his father-in-law, Samuel Hayward, and apparently moved from Salem to build it. Inside, the frame is largely exposed, with quirk-beaded girts, ties and flared corner posts typical of First Period work. Second Period features appear alongside them, including feather-edged and raised-field paneling and bolection-molded fireplace surrounds. In the attic, each bay has a single curved timber supporting both upper roof slopes, an unusual method for a gambrel with such a shallow upper slope. The house was listed for its integrity as a well-preserved transitional building and for what its roof framing may reveal about early gambrel construction. Later changes include a 1940s kitchen ell, a probable nineteenth-century rear shed, and a 1986 sun room.
Significance in brief: The house combines late First Period timber framing with early Second Period finish, a combination the form calls rare and uncommon in the North Reading area. It is argued to be a well-preserved transitional house under Criterion C. Its unusual gambrel roof framing may also yield information on early gambrel construction under Criterion D.
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 90000177, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 235 Elm St., North Reading |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000177 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | John Bickford (apparent builder); architect unknown |
| Architectural style | First Period / transitional |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good; present use is residence. |
| Acreage | 7.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.57737, -71.06667 (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 90000177.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6221838
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.