Manning Manse
Encyclopedia
Manning Manse, built in 1696, is a historic house at 56 Chelmsford Road in North Billerica, Massachusetts
.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
The Manning Manse was constructed in 1696 by Samuel Manning. The house is a wood frame structure, and stands on the south side of Chelmsford Road (MA Rte 129), about a quarter mile east of exit 29 from U.S. Route 3
(which connects Boston
and Lowell
).
The house faces south, following the style of the period in which it was built, and as a result has its back to the road. It is a two story building with a large central chimney. There are three fireplaces served by this chimney, facing three different ground floor rooms. The fourth side of this chimney is occupied by an elaborate stair leading from the entrance foyer to the second floor. There is a modern wing, extending away from the road, of only one story. The original house measured 41 feet along the road, and 31 feet from front to back. The front is a full two stories tall, with a roof which slopes sharply down to the rear (toward the road), giving the structure a kind of lean-to appearance when seen from the road. Land in the vicinity of the Manse is known as the Warren H. Manning State Forest. Warren H. Manning was a direct descendant of Samuel Manning. He was born in 1860 at Reading, Mass. In his life he became famous in New England as an authority on botanical topics, and he was a dedicated forester. In 1899 and 1900 he was instrumental in efforts to preserve the Manse, and was a founder of the Manning Association which owns the house today.
It is the place where Minutemen
from New Hampshire
stayed before and after the Battles of Lexington and Concord
in April 1775. It was nearly destroyed by a fire in 1994. Today this tavern is rented by a private business operating a restaurant and lounge.
North Billerica, Massachusetts
North Billerica is a unincorporated village of the town of Billerica, Massachusetts, United States, one of the nine sections that make up the Town of Billerica. It is the home to Faulkner and Talbot mills and the North Billerica Train Depot...
.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
The Manning Manse was constructed in 1696 by Samuel Manning. The house is a wood frame structure, and stands on the south side of Chelmsford Road (MA Rte 129), about a quarter mile east of exit 29 from U.S. Route 3
U.S. Route 3
U.S. Route 3 is a north–south United States highway that runs from its southern terminus in Cambridge, Massachusetts through New Hampshire to its terminus near Third Connecticut Lake at the Canadian border, where the road continues north as Quebec Route 257.In New Hampshire parts of US 3 are...
(which connects Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Lowell
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
).
The house faces south, following the style of the period in which it was built, and as a result has its back to the road. It is a two story building with a large central chimney. There are three fireplaces served by this chimney, facing three different ground floor rooms. The fourth side of this chimney is occupied by an elaborate stair leading from the entrance foyer to the second floor. There is a modern wing, extending away from the road, of only one story. The original house measured 41 feet along the road, and 31 feet from front to back. The front is a full two stories tall, with a roof which slopes sharply down to the rear (toward the road), giving the structure a kind of lean-to appearance when seen from the road. Land in the vicinity of the Manse is known as the Warren H. Manning State Forest. Warren H. Manning was a direct descendant of Samuel Manning. He was born in 1860 at Reading, Mass. In his life he became famous in New England as an authority on botanical topics, and he was a dedicated forester. In 1899 and 1900 he was instrumental in efforts to preserve the Manse, and was a founder of the Manning Association which owns the house today.
It is the place where Minutemen
Minutemen
Minutemen were members of teams of select men from the American colonial partisan militia during the American Revolutionary War. They provided a highly mobile, rapidly deployed force that allowed the colonies to respond immediately to war threats, hence the name.The minutemen were among the first...
from New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
stayed before and after the Battles of Lexington and Concord
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. They were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy , and Cambridge, near Boston...
in April 1775. It was nearly destroyed by a fire in 1994. Today this tavern is rented by a private business operating a restaurant and lounge.