Cook, Asa M., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1872 on a shaded hill at 81 Prospect Street, this two-and-a-half-story Second Empire house was the home of Major Asa M. Cook, who commanded Cook's Battery in the Civil War. Cook made money in Boston trucking and was appointed superintendent of warehouses at the Boston Custom House in 1861. He built the house a year after moving to Reading and commuted to Boston by train, probably from the nearby Highland Depot. The clapboard house has a slate mansard roof with scalloped patterning over paired bay windows, rope-edged corner boards, paired bossed brackets, pedimented windows and an Eastlake-style veranda. Dormers have cut-out pediment designs, and the door keeps sidelights and a transom. By 1910 the property belonged to Edward H. Palmer, who developed the north end of Prospect Street, known as Palmer Hill. The house is valued as a railroad commuter and developer residence and as Reading's finest intact Second Empire example.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be significant as the home of railroad commuters and real estate developers, and for its link to Major Asa M. Cook, a Civil War veteran and Superintendent of Warehouses at the Boston Custom House. It is also an intact, high-style example of Second Empire architecture in Reading. It meets Criteria A, B 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 84002555, listed July 19, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 81 Prospect St., Reading |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 19, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002555 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Second Empire (French 2nd Empire) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still a dwelling; a screened porch was added on the west and the garage is now a residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.52352, -71.12028 (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 84002555.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4803139
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.