Hiberian Block
Why it's listed
Located at 345-349 Worthington Street in downtown Springfield, this brick block was built in 1910 by the Ancient Order of Hibernians as an assembly hall. The third floor served as the lodge hall, while the remaining space was rented out as retail. Two of the order's four local lodges used it as headquarters. Later occupants included the Melha Temple Shrine from 1924 to 1962, the Lebanese American Club, and, by 1978, a Hispanic social club. The building reflects the pattern of Irish immigrants in Springfield who formed fraternal groups to keep community ties, a trend shared by Masons, Odd Fellows and others in the late 1800s. Architecturally, it is an unusual local take on Classical Revival design. It has a three-part composition with tall window expanses, but these are divided by brick piers instead of classical columns. A fourth story was added in the mid-twentieth century. It was listed for its association with the city's ethnic groups.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is a key site tied to Springfield's ethnic communities, since it housed a succession of ethnic and fraternal meeting places after 1910. It is also an atypical local example of early twentieth century Classical Revival architecture, using brick piers rather than giant-order columns. The form states it retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship.
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 83000753, listed February 24, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 345-349 Worthington St., Springfield |
|---|---|
| County | Hampden County |
| Listed | February 24, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000753 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Built by the Ancient Order of Hibernians; architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | European |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is given as fraternal and commercial; the hall most recently served a Hispanic social club as of 1978. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.10608, -72.59014 (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 83000753.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5750682
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.