House at 44 Temple Street
Why it's listed
Built in 1910-1911, this bungalow at 44 Temple Street in Reading has shingled walls, a fieldstone foundation and a small lot facing north. Its features include grouped horizontal windows, a very wide roof overhang on exposed rafter ends, two large knee braces under the front roof edge, low square piers beside the porch steps, and a prominent decorative dormer. The only recorded alteration is to the porch steps. The house is cited as a good example of the bungalow style in Reading. It also illustrates how Temple Street developed. The Appleton and Temple families held large adjoining tracts, and a street was laid out along their boundary in 1848. A few lots sold early, and the gaps between houses filled in over time, leaving a street with houses from most 19th and 20th century periods. The original owner, Annie "Nancy" Bliss, wrote a weekly column for the Reading Chronicle in the 1930s and ran a small candy shop from her home that children frequented.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant as an example of the infill pattern of land development on Temple Street, which was laid out in 1848 along the boundary of two landowning families' tracts. It is also linked to Annie "Nancy" Bliss, a newspaper columnist and storekeeper, and is an excellent example of the bungalow style in Reading.
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 84002650, listed July 19, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 44 Temple St., Reading |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 19, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002650 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Bungalow |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Literature, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.52147, -71.11474 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
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 84002650.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715584
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.