Longmeadow Street-North Historic District
Why it's listed
Northern Longmeadow Street in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, follows a gently curving one-mile course along a terrace above the Connecticut River, from the Springfield line to Cooley Drive and Westmoreland Avenue. Wide setbacks, large lots and mature trees give the road a spacious, boulevard-like character. The district holds 85 contributing buildings, mostly houses. The oldest are former farmhouses, including the Cooley-Williams House, built before 1765, and the 1794 Alexander Field House in the Federal style. Greek Revival, Italianate, Stick Style and Queen Anne houses follow, along with Colonial Revival, Craftsman and Tudor Revival homes built as suburban infill. Its significance rests on how residents and developers shaped the street as a suburban alternative to Springfield. Forest Park's development in the 1890s, a street railroad in 1896, and deed restrictions on subdivided farmlots all played a part. The street's great width traces back to the twenty-rod road laid out in 1703.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the broad, tree-lined street, with scattered farmhouses and early 20th century suburban infill, reflects the conscious planning of residents and developers. They wanted an alternative to the congestion and social problems of nearby Springfield. The district shows a continuous corridor of 18th, 19th and 20th century houses and a characteristic development pattern, supported by the 1896 street railroad and deed restrictions.
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 94001262, listed October 28, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Bounded by Longmeadow St., Springfield Town Line, Westmoreland Ave. and Colley Dr., Longmeadow |
|---|---|
| County | Hampden County |
| Listed | October 28, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94001262 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Craftsman |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Largely residential; also includes four small commercial properties, a church, a park, one empty lot, and a town building now used by the VFW. |
| Acreage | 80 |
| Coordinates | 42.06471, -72.57980 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 94001262.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6674102
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.