Weston, Ephrain, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1800, this two-story Federal house at 229 West Street in Reading is one of the few hipped-roof houses left in the town. Its five-bay facade faces south, as most Federal houses in Reading did, and is framed by corner pilasters with unusual capitals at the cornice. Windows sit flush with their frames, giving the wall a flat appearance. A bay window on a matching granite foundation and an Italianate porch were added later, and the doorway surround has been altered. Ephraim Weston, who built the house, was an early shoe manufacturer and co-owner of the Dragon Corner Store. He also dealt in real estate and groceries. He is credited as one of the first manufacturers in town to employ a considerable number of workers, many of them Reading families who sewed shoes by hand. He sold shoes to the West Indies and Baltimore. The property was listed for its role in local shoemaking, its link to Weston, and its architecture.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to Reading's early shoemaking industry through its builder, Ephraim Weston, an early shoe manufacturer who employed many local families. It is also one of the few hipped-roof houses left in town and shows Federal architecture with later Italianate alterations. The form says it meets Criteria A, B and C.
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 84002845, listed July 19, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 224 West St., Reading |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 19, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002845 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Ephraim Weston (builder/original owner); architect listed as n/a |
| Architectural style | Federal, with Italianate alterations |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Alterations include an 1896 bay window on the west and an Italianate porch on the south; the doorway surround has also been altered. A garage is listed as an outbuilding. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.51907, -71.10772 (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 84002845.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5382348
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.