House at 77 Howard Street
Why it's listed
Built around 1895 on a large lot facing south on Howard Street in Reading, this Queen Anne house shows the style's taste for complexity. It has a turret, oriel, projecting gable, inset window and curved wall plane. Clapboards and shingles cover the walls, and decoration includes porch spoolwork, imbricated shingles, stained-glass windows, dentils on the cornice and a copper finial on the turret. A deep veranda encircles the house. Howard Street was accepted by the town in 1893, and the area grew as middle-class railroad commuters settled in a suburb within reach of downtown Boston. Horace E. Wallace, an out-of-town owner from Waltham, was assessed for the house in 1900 and may have been its first owner. By 1906 it belonged to Calvin P. Atwood, a clerk who commuted to Boston. The house was listed for its part in the west side's development as a residential area and as an elaborate example of Queen Anne architecture.
Significance in brief: The house is significant for its role in developing Reading's west side as a well-to-do residential area for railroad commuters and local businessmen. It is also an elaborate example of Queen Anne architecture. 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 84002675, listed July 19, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 77 Howard St., Reading |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 19, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002675 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.51481, -71.11926 (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 84002675.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5914464
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.