Damon, Washington, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1839 on Salem Street in Reading, this clapboard house began as a fairly simple Greek Revival dwelling with its gable end to the street. Original features include granite foundations, Greek key ornament on doorway pilasters, corner pilasters and a wide cornice forming a pediment. Its first owner, Washington P. Damon, was a cabinet maker from the large Parker family and part of the Damon family, who owned considerable land. He apparently did not prosper, and by 1855 he was running a boarding house. In 1906 Joseph Temple, a partner in the Damon, Temple Co. necktie firm, had the house extensively remodeled in the Colonial Revival style. That work added a one-story veranda with fluted Ionic columns, a pedimented portico, a corner entrance enclosure and a Palladian window in the front gable. The house is recognized for its role in Reading's cabinet-making trade, its ties to local families and its Colonial Revival remodeling, although it is now in poor condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites its link to Reading's cabinet-making trade and to the locally important Parker and Damon families. It also notes the connection to necktie manufacturer Joseph Temple, who commissioned the remodeling. Its exuberant 1906 Colonial Revival remodeling of an earlier Greek Revival house is also cited.
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 84002560, listed July 19, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 38 Salem St., Reading |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 19, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002560 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, with Colonial Revival remodeling (1906) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as now in poor condition; the form states it retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.52640, -71.10090 (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 84002560.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7971835
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.