Manning, Jacob, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1877 at 140 High Street in Reading, this clapboard house was the home of Jacob W. Manning, a prominent nurseryman. It sits on a high hill near the Highlands railroad depot, with large shade and ornamental trees nearby. The architect is unknown. The house shows the main features of the Stick style: a high peaked roof, several kinds of gables, tall thin windows, vertical and horizontal members, decorative half timbering, cut-out work and turning, and tall chimneys. A band of vertical siding with small holes also appears on another Reading house of the period. Manning's nursery covered 20 acres and employed 30 men by 1894, and he and his son landscaped the Massachusetts building at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. He specialized in evergreens, introduced a new strawberry, and was the first in the United States to plant from the original Concord grape stock. The house served as a landmark for travelers arriving at the Highlands station. It has seen no major alterations.
Significance in brief: The house is significant for its role in the development of the Reading Highlands area, for its link to the well-known nurseryman Jacob W. Manning, and as a good example of Stick style architecture. It keeps its original location, design, setting, materials and workmanship.
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 84002745, listed July 19, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 140 High St., Reading |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 19, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002745 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Stick style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Form reports no major alterations, no moved building and no standing outbuildings. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.52493, -71.11254 (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 84002745.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715623
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.