Kennedy-Worthington Blocks
Also known as: Wilkinson and Wright Blocks
Why it's listed
Three five-story brick commercial buildings line the east side of Main Street in Springfield, between Taylor and Worthington Streets: the Kennedy Block, the Worthington Building and the Worthington Street Block. Emerson Wight, a local businessman who served as mayor from 1875 to 1878, developed them in the 1860s and 1870s. The Kennedy Block was rebuilt in 1874 after a fire, the Worthington Street Block was redesigned in 1888 by Frederick Newman, and the Worthington Building received a classical stucco and cast stone facade in 1914. Tenants included the Daily Union and Daily News newspapers, the Morgan Envelope Company, the R. H. Smith Manufacturing Company, and later Kennedy's clothing store. A deadly 1888 newspaper-office fire here helped prompt the city to add aerial ladders to its fire-fighting equipment. The buildings represent the North Blocks' role as space for small manufacturers near the railroads, and their facades are largely intact above twentieth-century storefronts.
Significance in brief: The blocks played a major role in developing the North Blocks as a commercial and manufacturing section of downtown Springfield. They were built by Emerson Wight, a local businessman and mayor, and housed newspapers and manufacturers. Architecturally they are among the finest and least altered large manufacturing buildings in the area, with changes limited mostly to twentieth-century storefronts.
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 79000347, listed June 14, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1585-1623 Main St. and 166-190 Worthington St., Springfield |
|---|---|
| County | Hampden County |
| Listed | June 14, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000347 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Kennedy Block: 1874 rebuilding (architect not named). Worthington Building: George Potter (1872), E.C. and G.C. Gardner (1914 facade). Worthington Street Block: Frederick Newman (1888). Built for Emerson Wight. |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture, Communications |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | All three buildings were in the process of being adaptively recycled for mixed residential/commercial use at the time of the form; the ground floors had been altered with twentieth-century storefronts. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 42.10416, -72.59300 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 79000347.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6389580
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.