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Durgin House

1872 establishments in MassachusettsHouses completed in 1872Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Reading, MassachusettsReading, Massachusetts Registered Historic Place stubs
Durgin House, Reading MA
Durgin House, Reading MA

The Durgin House is a historic house in Reading, Massachusetts. Built in 1872 by Boston businessman William Durgin, this 2+1⁄2-story wood-frame house is one of the finest Italianate houses in the town. It follows a cross-gable plan, with a pair of small side porches and bay windows on the main gable ends. The porches are supported by chamfered posts on pedestals, and feature roof lines with a denticulated cornice and brackets. The main roof line also features paired decorative brackets. There are round-headed windows in the gable ends.The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

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Durgin House
King Street,

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Latitude Longitude
N 42.522222222222 ° E -71.12 °
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King Street 84
01867
Massachusetts, United States
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Durgin House, Reading MA
Durgin House, Reading MA
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Kemp Place
Kemp Place

The Kemp Place and Barn form a historic farmstead in Reading, Massachusetts. The main house is a 2+1⁄2-story Italianate wood-frame structure, with an L-shaped cross-gable footprint and clapboard siding. Its roofline is studded with paired brackets, its windows have "eared" or shouldered hoods, and there is a round-arch window in the front gable end. The porch wraps around the front to the side, supported by Gothic style pierced-panel posts. The square cupola has banks of three round-arch windows on each side. It is one of Reading's more elaborate Italianate houses, and is one of the few of the period whose cupola has survived.The carriage barn, which stands at the rear of the 1.5-acre (0.61 ha) property, is a two-story rectangular wood-frame structure with a side-gable roof, and a smaller cross gable above the large center vehicle entrance bay. The building shares stylistic features with the house, including bracketed eaves and shouldered door hoods. The hayloft entrance, located above the main entrance, is surrounded by a scrolled carving. The farmhouse and barn were built in 1858 by Robert "Father" Kemp, founder of the Old Folks Concerts, a nostalgic singing group that toured the country. Kemp was politically active at the local level, serving on the school committee. A subsequent owner opened one of the nation's first dollar stores in Boston. In 1908, the house was inherited by Charles P. Howard, a prominent Harvard University lawyer who was active in local and state politics. Howard's wife Katherine was active in Republican Party politics, serving as secretary of the Republican National Convention in 1952.The farmhouse and carriage barn were each separately listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Demolition of both structures was proposed by its owner in 2014 due to the extensive presence of wood rot, but a six-month delay was imposed by the local historical commission in August 2014.

Woburn Street Historic District
Woburn Street Historic District

The Woburn Street Historic District of Reading, Massachusetts encompasses a two-block section of late 19th century upper-class housing. The 10-acre (4.0 ha) extends along Woburn Street from Summer Street to Temple Street, and includes sixteen houses on well-proportioned lots along an attractive tree-lined section of the street. The historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.Woburn Street is one of the oldest streets in Reading, with portions appearing on a map in 1765. The area remained rural until the late 19th century, when railroad-influenced suburban development resulted in the extension and development of the road. Four houses were built prior to this time: the c. 1795 house at 201 Woburn Street, a predominantly Federal-style house that was later modified with a Colonial Revival portico, is the oldest house in the district. Other houses from earlier in the 19th century are two Greek Revival and one Italianate style house, which was moved c. 1908 to the area to serve as the rectory for the Saint Agnes Church.A number of prominent individuals lived in the district. 206 Woburn Street, a Shingle style building, was the home of architect Horace G. Wadlin. Railroad owner Edward Appleton lived at 201 Woburn Street, as did shoemaker Daniel Pratt and architect Willard P. Adden. The house at 216 Woburn Street was owned by local hardware store owner Richard W. Francis. A founder and director of the First National Bank in Reading lived at 177 Woburn Street.Most of the houses in the district are either Colonial Revival or Queen Anne in styling; even one of the early Greek Revival houses was refashioned in Queen Anne style. Houses at 183 Woburn Street and 228 Woburn Street are good examples of Colonial Revival style.: 17  There is one Craftsman-style house, at 207 Woburn Street.