House at 16 Mineral Street
Why it's listed
Built in 1873 on a rise facing Mineral Street in Reading, this clapboard house was known as a "French cottage" when new. Its mansard roof, covered in fish-scale patterned slate, makes the full two stories look like one and a half. Octagonal hood moldings top the dormers, and an Italianate entry portico and bay windows add detail. Only three bays face the street, but rear extensions make the house roomier than it looks. Temple and Bancroft, local builders, put up the house in the 1870s, when this part of town saw heavy real-estate activity. They built houses for quick resale to newcomers or to younger sons of established families. Milo Allen, a clerk in Melrose, lived here by 1875 and was still listed in 1889. The street was once called Bancroft Street and took its present name from mineral springs that a local man tried unsuccessfully to develop commercially. The house was listed for its role in the area's residential growth and as a fine example of the style.
Significance in brief: The house is significant for its part in the 19th-century residential development of Reading's west side, having been built by the well-known local firm of Temple and Bancroft. It is also an excellent example of a "French cottage." It retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and feeling.
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 84002677, listed July 19, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 16 Mineral St., Reading |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 19, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002677 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Bancroft and Temple, builder (David C. Temple and Wendell Bancroft) |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Altered by a rear extension and an enclosed porch; a garage stands on the lot. Present use is as a dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.52607, -71.11428 (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 84002677.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5913988
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.