Driscoll's Block
Why it's listed
Driscoll's Block is a small four-story brick commercial building at 211-13 Worthington Street in downtown Springfield, completed in 1894 for J.R. Driscoll. Its upper floors keep their original character, with segmental arched windows on the second and third stories, round arched windows on the fourth, and an elaborate corbeled entablature. The storefronts were altered beginning in the 1950s. The east wall carries a collection of advertising stencils painted after 1940, when the neighboring building was demolished. The block was the first to be finished on the site of the 1893 fire that destroyed five large buildings on the south side of Worthington Street, so it marks the street's rebuilding. Tenants have included a bowling alley opened in 1895, later with a billiard parlor, followed by manufacturing and warehouse firms such as U.S. Rubber Co. and Collins Electric Co., a Sears & Roebuck store around 1930, and a photo supply business. It was listed for its history and design.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building was the first finished on the site of the 1893 Worthington Street fire, so it played a role in the street's redevelopment. It is also a well-designed local example of late 19th century commercial architecture, with a collection of 20th century advertising stencils on its east wall. It also has associations with several commercial and industrial concerns.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 83000746, listed February 24, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 211-13 Worthington St., Springfield |
|---|---|
| County | Hampden County |
| Listed | February 24, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000746 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Panel Brick/Romanesque Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is commercial; storefronts were altered from the 1950s onward while the upper stories remain intact. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.10414, -72.59215 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 83000746.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5307794
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.