Nomination for Manning Manse

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

FHR-8-300 (11-78) United States Department of the Interior Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form See instructions in How to Complete National Register Forms Type all entriescomplete applicable sections 1. Name historic Manning Manse and/or common 2. Location same street & number 56 Chelmsford Road city, town Billerica state Massachusetts 3. Classification Category Ownership - district - public X building(s) X private structure .both site Public Acquisition object -N/Ain process _ being considered N/A vicinity of code 025 county congressional district Middlesex Status * occupied - unoccupied _ work in progress Accessible A yes: restricted yes: unrestricted .no Present Use - agriculture * commercial - educational entertainment - government industrial military 4.

Owner of Property name street & number Marning Association, Inc. 56 Chelmsford Road city, town Billerica N/A vicinity of 5. Location of Legal Description state MA courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Middlesex North District Registry of Deeds street & number Gorham St. city, town Lowel1 state MA 6. Representation in Existing Surveys Inventory of the Historic Assets title of the Conmonwealth, #240 has this property been determined elegible? date 1978 _ federal X state depository for survey records Massachusetts Historical Conmission city, town Boston state MA For HCRS use only received JL date entered 6 1982 N/A not for publication 5 code 017 museum park * private residence religious scientific transportation other: - county - yes xno . local 7. Description Manning Manse Condition - excellent X good fair .

deteriorated Check one - unaltered altered Check one X original site _moved NA unexposed Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance

Description of the property

The Manning Manse is sited on a 3.9 acre lot located on the south side of Chelmsford Road, in a rural area about 24 miles from Billerica Center. The property is completely surrounded by Manning State Forest. The house is a fine example of the plain and substantial colonial architecture of the late 17th century. It is 2½ stories high, of framed timber construction with the main entrance on the south side, Iacing away trom the street. Long and 19 feet 5 inches wide, but a leanto increases the width to a total of 30 feet 7 inches. The age of this integral leanto is unknown, although there are indications that it is somewhat later than the house itselt. For example, boards on an interior north wall on the second floor are weathered as though they had been exposed. The chimney, with three fireplaces on the first floor, measures about 9 feet 9 inches by 8 feet 5 inches at this level.

Where it passes through the roof ridge it is about 4 feet 8 inches square. which are mortised together and fastened to the wall by great handmade spikes whose heads The main entrance of the Manse is slightly off center on the south facade. A small gabled vestibule shelters the facade doorway, which has a plain architrave and glazed transom. An entrance in the east end of the leanto (ornamented only with a shallow, peaked hood) probably served' as access to the tavern for travellers using the Chelmsford Road during colonial days. On the interior, walls are panelled floor to ceiling with wide chamfered boards, laid both vertically and horizontally on the varicus walls. Boxed posts, beams, and Summer beams articulate the Irame, while early chimneypieces ornament the fireplace openings. A three-run stairway with closed stringer connects the first and second floors.

The Manse was restored by Warren Manning, the well-known Landscape architect, between 1899 and 1912. Major work involved re-clapboarding; replacement OI S1lIS; repair and replacement of window frames; replacement: of the small window over the facade entrance; and repair of interior walls, floors, and ceilings. A wall in the leanto has been , rep lace cetlin te shifted, and closets have been added. The entry vestibule dates from 1952, the present clapboards from ca. 1960, and the asphalt roof from 1980. During the early restoration, a small shed was removed from the west side of the house, replaced in 30 by a larger e. containing a kitchen and toilet facilities for the Tea Room then operating in the Manse.

The present dining room (28 feet by 81 feet) was added in 1960 on a north- south axis perpendicular to the house; this one story structuce has a gable roof, clap- boarding, and regular, multipaned fenestration. (see continuation sheet) [1*- 10(117) United States Department of the Interior Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form Continuation shoet Manning Manse, Billerica Item number 7 Pago The house was once accompanied by a wooden barn (possibly dating from the 18th çentury) with sheds, which collapsed in 1956. Today the grounds include a small lawn, parking area, and thick woods.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Significance Manning Manse, Billerica Period - prehistoric 1400-1499 1500-1599 X 1600-1699 X 1700-1799 X 1800-1899 1900 Areas of SignificanceCheck and justify below _ archeology-prehistoric community planning X archeology-historic conservation agriculture economics X _ architecture education art _ engineering commerce exploration/settlement communications industry invention Builder/Architect X : landscape architecture law literature - military _ music philosophy - politics/government - religion science - sculpture _ social/ humanitarian _ theater - transportation other (specify) Specific dates 1696 Statement of Significance

Statement of significance

(in one paragraph) Samuel Manning The Manning Manse retains integrity of design, setting, and location. It is significant in the developmental history of Billerica and in its association with Warren H. Marning (1860-1938), a distinguished landscape architect. Additionally, it is important as an example of an early attempt to preserve and restore a 17th century family homestead. The Marning Manse meets criteria A, B, and C of the National Register of Historic Places. Billerica was settled during the decade following a vast land grant made to Cambridge in 1641. In 1655 a petition was made for addditonal land west of the Concord River, a move generally regarded asthe establishment of the Town of Billerica. Scattered meadow lands and some upland lots have soon divided, but no farmsteads were settled west of the river until after 1690. Ihe Manning Manse was probably the first.

Samue1 Marning (1644-1711) acquired this land by 1673, and is thought to have built the Manse. in 1696. is certainly the closer of the two to its early form. During the 18th century, the farmstead gained considerable prominence in the conmmity. The house was established as a tavern in 1752 and continued in service until after 1800. Its eighteenth century tavern account books are preserved by the Marning Family Association in the University of Lowell Special Collections. Tradition claims that troops. from Amherst, New Hampshire, bivouacked, here en route to Bunker Also dating to the Revolutionary War, the crude foundation of a "salt-peter house" is still visible on the grounds. During this time, Manse was the home of William Manning (1747-1814), author of The Key of Liberty (1798), inter alia. Samuel Gompers has noted that this is the first suggestion anywhere that laborers organize.

After the death of William Manning, the house and farm descended to his 13 children. Of these, eight occupied the Manse through their adult lives. The last was Lucinda Manning, who, at her death (1880), gave the house to trustees instructed to lease the house and devote the income to religious worship and instruction. During this period, the house gradually fell into abandonment and decay. architect of his time (1860 - 1938). Manning worked in the office of Frederick Law Olmsted from 1887 through 1896, where he was involved in designs for an exhibit at the Chicago World's Fair, aboretums for private owners and institutions, and park systems for cities across the country. As (see continuation sheet) 9.

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

Major Bibliographical References (see continuation sheet) The Manning Family Genealogy, published 1902 by Salem Press Co., Salem, MA Billerica Town Records, Billerica, MA LowelL, MA A. Williams and Co. Manning, William (1798) The Key to Liberty, reprinted with a foreword by Samuel W. 10. Geographical Data Morrison, William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. I3, No. 2, Acreage of nominated property 3.9 Quadrangle name Billerica UMT References Quadrangle scale 1:24000 Zone Easting LLul Northing 1,Lu LALLL Northing LILLIL ELI LIILLL GLL LLLL D F H LL LLLu LILL JLa LEnLet Lu Verbal boundary description and justification The Northeasterly corner of the Manse property starts on Chelmstord Road at Land of Richard D.

Marming, extends 417 feet South 28°45' west to Land of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, then 400 feet North 61°15' West, then 377 feet North 12° West to the above said highway and then along said highway 681 feet. (see also List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or county boundaries attached sketch map) state N/A code county code state code " county code 11. Form Prepared By Wendy Frontiero,. Preservation Planner, with name/title Richard D. Manning, Director and Past President, Manning Association, Inc. organization Mawsachusetts Historical Commission date street & number 294 Washington St. city or town Boston May 7, 1982 telephone: (617) 727-8470 -MA state 12.

State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: _ national - state X local As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89- 665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according tothe criteria and procedures setforth by the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service. Actmg State Historic Preservation Officer signature Value Arn lalmage title Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Conmission date une 28,b82 For HCRS use only I hereby certity that this property is included igthte!

Keeper of the National Register rister National Register date 8/11/82 Attest: Chief of Registration date GPO 938 835 (11 78) United States Department of the Interior Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Continuation shoet Manning Manse, Billerica llem number 8,g Pago 1 an independent practitloner, Manning continued to work on park systems and private gardens (for such clients as John D. and William Rockefeller and Cyrus McCormick). Manning was an early advocate of regional as well as town planning; his extensive writings on this topic included work on a small magazine called "Billerica" (1912-1916), which presented a plan for development of that town. Although Manning's efforts at forming a family association failed in 1898, the attempt was successfully renewed in 1900.

During the interim, with affairs at a standstill, Warren Manning personally leased the property in May of 1899 and began a conscientious and well-documented restoration, as summarized in Section 7. This done,. Manning made the property his summer home. Manning also assembled the extensive tracts of open space that today form the Manning State Forest (approximately 310 acres of land) and surround the Manse, insuring that its setting will not be developed. with thesubsequent acquisition of the house by the Manning ramily Association, the last part of Warren Manning's plan was implemented: furnishing the house with family pieces and documents. The Association eventually came to lease the building, first as a tea room and later as a restaurant (which continues to operate), to provide income for taxes and maintenance on the property.

An obituary for Warren Manning ties together the various threads of this property's historic context: "Outstanding among the strong traits of (Manning's) character was his vivid Americanism - the vital urge to accommodate a new world to the best uses ofmankind. He made real in the present day the spirit of his ancestors of early Colonial days, whose lives and ways had a profound influence on his character. He was justly proud of the place which the Manning family nad made Ior itselt, and he rendered an invaluable public service in pre- serving the old Manning Manse at Billerica with its endless data and touching mementos of early American life." The Manning Manse Lot should be considered to contain historic archaeological remains dating as early as 1696 when the Manse is said to have been constructed. Domestic refuse may have been deposited on the property during its earliest occupation.

Archaeological excavation and analysis of these artifactual remains could provide insight into 17th and 18th century eating habits and material furnishings. Scientific archaeological testing of the existing foundation believed to be a "salt-peter" house utilized during the Revolutionary War could determine the construction date and function of the structure it supported. Additional archaeological traces of a Revolutionary War troop encampment might be discovered through a systematic field survey of the property. #9. continuation. Landscape Architecture, April, 1938. owr ot Buleriee Brook BOCK ommonsom ot Dept: af Ce ores CHELMSFORD ROAD MANBING MANSE BILLERICA, MASS.

Manning Manse Source: Assessors Maps, 1960 Scale: 1" = 200' Dept Y- 576,800 Corp tram BILERICÁ ASSESSORS MAP, Plate 1f EVALUATION / RETURN SHEET NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES United States Department of the interior National Park Service Manning Manse, Middlesex County, MASSACHUSETTS, resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviewer's comments: Working No. Fed. Reg. Date: Date Due: 8/4(8) Action: LACCEPT- Entered in the - RETURN- National Register - REJECT_ Federal Agency: 7/6/82-1935 -8-20-82 S/u/52 - sample - request - appeal - NR decision -Nomination returned for: Recom. / Criteria Reviewer_ Discipline Date _ see continuation sheet - technical corrections cited below _substantive reasons discussed below 1. Name 2. Location 3. Classification Category Ownership Public Acquisition 4.

Owner of Property Status Accessible Present Use 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Representation in Existing Surveys has this property been determined eligible? - yes - no 7. Description Condition excelient good fair deteriorated ruins unexposed Check one unaltered altered Check one original site moved date - Describe the present and original (i1 known) physical appearanco summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary selection 8. Significance Peried Aress of Significance-Check and justity balow Specific dates Statement of Significance (in one paregraph) Bullder/Architect summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria justification of areas checked relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance justification of exception other 9. Major Bibliographical References 10.

Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property Quadrangle name. UMT References Verbal boundary description and justification 11. Form Prepared By 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: national state local State Historic Preservation Officer signature date 13. Other Maps Photographs Other Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to. Signed Date _ Phone: 202 272 -3504 Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet BILLERICA, MASS. Manning Manse South and east elevations Photo by Jacquelyn Marvin, 1976 Negative filed with photographer, 10 University Ave., Chatham, NJ Photo 1 of 1 Jaequelyn Marvin MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 6/28/82 Ms. Carol Shull, Acting Keeper National Register of Historic Places National Park Service Department of the Interior Washington, D.C. 20243 Dear Ms.

Shull: Enclosed you will find the following nomination forms: COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Office of the Secretary of State 294 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 617-727-8470 MICHAEL JOSEPH CONNOLLY Secretary of State RECEIVEL JUL 6 1982 Becket: Billerica: Lowell: Becket Center Historic District (local) Manning Manse (local) Allen House (local) NATIONAL REGISTER CCT Lowel1: South Common Historic District (local) Lowell: Washington Square Historic District (local) Lowell: Wamesit Canal and Whipple Mill Complex (local) Northampton: Dimock Estate (local) Westfield: Landlord Fowler Tavern (local - DOE: 11/79) All have been voted eligible by the State Review Board and have been signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer. Owners were notified of pending State Review Board consideration 30 - 75 days before the meeting and were afforded the opportunity to comment.

Comments received to date are attached to the nomintion forms. Sincerely, Candace fenkins Candace Jenkins Registration Director Massachusetts Historical Commission CJ/sac Dfei, yes REGEIVETOR MAY - 7 1982 Reading lants neg bonnpaper Inoticed Manning Manse wal benig ooenleed Ku notoniel uf andd are very mach in favor of thii. We line on chelmeford Rol. almost acrose the street from the Mane and epg showtry it to our quet, more-so if they are from out of stal. We hojee the Board finch ino mane eligeto. mismu lLeBln tarence Fire Pumper 1860s USA 20c usiin yes Fun 5, 1982 RECEIVED MAY - 7 1982 MASS. HIST. COMM. MASS HistorIcAl Scciety 294 Washungtn St Baston, mass Re: "MANNiNg mANse. NATIONAl RegisTer STATUS En Thuusay July 3. I ri un the Fruel Sun in siiends to the Manning Munse lang disignatel o natend reguter jerput. I am in jaur f thi. junciuly" Jouph m uthe fu 42 Chelmfud Rd Ni.

Bulenca, Mass Billerica Historical Society, Incorporated Billerica, Massachusetts 01821 Manning Mans June 7, 1982 Massachusetts Historical Commission 294 Was hington Street Boston, MA- 02108 The Billerica Historical Society is in favor of an application to designate the Manning Manse a National Register Property by the Federal Government. Sincerely? EluareTSahäue Elinor T. Lahaie Secretary RECEIVED JUN 1 O 1992 MASS. HIST. COMM: