Reading Municipal Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1883 at 49 Pleasant Street, this brick building was the first one Reading put up specifically to house its official business. Before that, the town had rented space from a private owner in 1864-65. It combined town offices, a jail and a fire station. By 1918 the town needed more room and built a new Town Hall facing the Common, and the Fire Department kept this building, which still serves as a fire station. Architect Horace G. Wadlin, a local man, mixed several styles. The main block is Renaissance Revival, with corbeled brick cornices and belt courses, while the window details recall Italianate and Queen Anne work. The original round-arched west doorways had a Romanesque character before the 1940s changed them into two flat-arched openings. The standout feature is the Stick style and Queen Anne tower, with fish-scale shingles, decorative stickwork and a high gable roof with an ornate weathervane. It was listed for its role in local government and for its design.
Significance in brief: It was the first building Reading erected to house its official business, and it records the development of town government and the fire department. Its eclectic design by local architect Horace Wadlin combines Renaissance Revival, Italianate, Romanesque, Queen Anne and Stick style elements. The most notable feature is a Stick/Queen Anne tower.
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 84002810, listed July 19, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 49 Pleasant St., Reading |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 19, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002810 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Horace G. Wadlin |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival and Stick |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is as a fire station; the Fire Department retains the building. The engine entrance was remodeled in the 1940s. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.52387, -71.10155 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 84002810.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7300529
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.