Willy's Overland Block
About this property
The Willys–Overland Block is a historic commercial and industrial block at 151-157 Chestnut and 10-20 Winter Streets in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts. Built in 1916, it is a surviving reminder of Springfield early history in the manufacture and sale of automobile, housing the sales showroom and service center for the Willys–Overland Company. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 24, 1983. The Willys–Overland Block is located in downtown Springfield, at the northeast corner of Chestnut and Winter Streets. It is a four-story masonry structure, finished in brick with stone trim. The building's external appearance is one more typically associated with commercial buildings, disguising its original use as a more industrial facility. Its bays are divided into groups of four bays on the upper floors, with sections that would roughly correspond to retail storefronts on the ground floor; these groups are separated by buttress-like projections with medallions at the top. The building's original uses included an automotive showroom and sales facility, and a 1000-car garage and service facility. The block was built in 1916 for the Willys–Overland Company. It sold and serviced its automobiles here before and after the company became Jeep in the 1960s. Located in the three blocks surrounding the Apremont Triangle Historic District and the famed Hotel Kimball, Willys–Overland was among numerous early and mid-twentieth century automobile sellers in the neighborhood. Others included Rolls-Royce and Pontiac. In 2011, the Willys–Overland Block was home to three separate churches, a parking garage, and a Hispanic radio station. In 2015, the Springfield City Council established a historic district around the block, after the building owner sought its demolition rather than effect repairs incurred by a gas explosion in 2012. Willys–Overland Building, St. Louis, Missouri, also designed by Mills, Rhines, Bellman & Nordhoff National Register of Historic Places listings in Springfield, Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places listings in Hampden County, Massachusetts
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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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Questions about this property
When was Willy's Overland Block listed on the National Register?
Willy's Overland Block was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 24, 1983.
What type of historic resource is Willy's Overland Block?
Willy's Overland Block is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Willy's Overland Block?
The period of significance for Willy's Overland Block is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Willy's Overland Block?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Willy's Overland Block will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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