National Register of Historic Places

Memorial Square District

Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts
Listed
August 28, 1977
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
77000180

About this property

The Memorial Square District encompasses the historic heart of the Memorial Square neighborhood of Springfield, Massachusetts. Arrayed around the Memorial Square at the junction of Main and Plainfield Streets are seven buildings of architectural and/or historic significance, including the Memorial Church (now St. George's Greek Orthodox Church), and the former Memorial Square Branch Library, now a Greek cultural center. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Memorial Square is now little more than a landscaped triangular area at the junction of Main and Plainfield Streets, with its northern boundary called Bradford Street. In the mid-19th century, the surrounding area was predominantly one of large estates of Springfield's business and civic elites. After the American Civil War, the area began to be developed, and the square became a focal point for civic development. The Memorial Church, which stands north of the triangular square, was built in 1866 to a design by Richard Upjohn and his son, Richard M. Upjohn; it is one of the city's architectural landmarks. On the west side of the square, the library was built in 1914 to a design by Edward Tilton of New York City; it is a significant local example of Italian Renaissance architecture. On the east side of the square is a row of five buildings. The most southerly was built in 1897 as the trolley barn for the Springfield Street Railway, a business owned by George Atwater, one of the area's estate owners. To its north stands the Memorial Square building, at six stories the tallest facing the square; it is a primarily residential building constructed in 1911. Three houses stand to its north, two of them distinguished examples of Queen Anne architecture, as well as the Classical Revival former parish house for the Memorial Church. National Register of Historic Places listings in Springfield, Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places listings in Hampden County, Massachusetts

Location

Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts
42.11065, -72.60218

Categories

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National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
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Nearby Historic Sites

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Nearby Battles

Attack on Springfield
1675Colonial
0.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Memorial Square District listed on the National Register?

Memorial Square District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 1977.

What type of historic resource is Memorial Square District?

Memorial Square District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Memorial Square District?

The period of significance for Memorial Square District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Memorial Square District?

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