Symonds, Thomas, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1785 on Haverhill Street in Reading, this farmhouse combines brick ends with a clapboard front, a form found nowhere else in the town. Four tall chimney stacks rise from interior end chimneys. The south doorway has reeded pilasters and half-length sidelights, while the north doorway has a tall, narrow opening with a four-pane transom. Thomas Symonds, Jr., a Revolutionary War veteran, built it on land his blacksmith father, Thomas Symonds, Sr., had held since 1750. The family came from Salem, and the design may reflect the influence of Daniel Bancroft, a cousin of Symonds' wife who worked with Samuel McIntire. Brick was probably a matter of fashion rather than economy in an all-wooden town, since Symonds co-owned a local sawmill. The house is valued as an early farm homestead, for its association with Symonds, and as a relatively high-style Federal building. A ruined barn survives on the 2.2-acre property.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites its role as an early farm homestead, its link to Revolutionary War veteran Lt. Thomas Symonds, Jr., and its relatively high-style Federal construction. It is the only house of brick-end construction in Reading. It is said to retain 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 84002833, listed July 19, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 320 Haverhill St., Reading |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 19, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002833 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Thomas Symonds, Jr. (original owner and builder); Daniel Bancroft possibly influenced the design |
| Architectural style | Brick-end Federal (country-Federal farmhouse) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Private ownership; the barn is in ruins. The roof balustrade and entry porch (c. 1906) were removed c. 1980, and the south first-floor fenestration was altered c. 1946. |
| Acreage | 2.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.54049, -71.08883 (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 84002833.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7794314
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.