Parker, Stillman, House
Why it's listed
Built in the early 1850s at 484 Summer Avenue in Reading, this Greek Revival house was the home of Stillman E. Parker, a well-to-do shoe manufacturer. It shares a regional vernacular form with its neighbor at 472 Summer Avenue, a form seen in only three Reading houses. A high peaked roof extends over a covered veranda, and fluted Doric columns support a heavy cornice. Paneled pilasters edge the flushboarded facade, and triple-hung 6/6/6 windows and the sidelighted central door have fluted architrave surrounds with corner blocks. A Queen Anne dormer was added later, along with a rear ell. Parker belonged to the Bethesda Congregation Church, served as selectman, assessor and overseer of the poor, and sat on the School Committee for twenty-two years. The house and its neighbor were built by brothers-in-law. It is valued for its link to the church's formation, to Parker, and for its largely intact Greek Revival design.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites its role in the religious dissent that formed the Bethesda Congregational Church and its link to prosperous shoe manufacturer and civic leader Stillman E. Parker. It is also described as a largely intact example of the colonnaded-porch type of Greek Revival 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 84002785, listed July 19, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 484 Summer Ave., Reading |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 19, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002785 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival (with a later Queen Anne dormer) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.51102, -71.10501 (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 84002785.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7617256
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.