The town of Billerica was originally settled by colonists in 1640, but the area west of the Concord River was not settled until after 1690. This saltbox Colonial house built around 1696 is believed to be the oldest house in town west of the river. The residence was built by Samuel Manning (1644-1711) as his homestead. Between 1752 and 1800, the Manning family operated a tavern out of the rear portion of the house. In the later years of the 18th century by the family of William Manning, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, who after the war, began to believe that his military service meant little to the American ruling class. He wrote the anti-Federalist ‘The Key of Liberty” in 1798, arguing that the goal of the “Few” was to distress and force the “Many” into being financially dependent on them, creating a continued cycle of dependence to the elite class and government. In the late 19th century, this old saltbox Colonial house began to deteriorate, until the 1890s, when descendant of its original owner, and landscape architect, Warren H. Manning, spearheaded family efforts to restore the property. As a prominent landscape architect, Manning purchased not just the house, but the surrounding lands that formed the basis of Manning State Forest, protecting both. Manning conducted a carefully documented restoration of the house in 1899, and made it his summer home. A family association was eventually formed to take over the property, which leases the old home to a local pub and restaurant. The house faces south, away from the street and the kitchen ell off the side of the house does detract from the building, but it remains a significant early building from the settlement of Billerica.
Buildings of New England 