McKinney Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1905 for Richard McKinney, this five-story brick commercial block at 1121-27 Main Street in Springfield is five bays wide, with an angled corner bay that carries the facade around to Crossett Street. Classical Revival details include brick coursing, stone lintels with keystones on the lower floors, round-arched openings with decorative voussoirs on the fifth story, and an overhanging modillioned cornice. The ground floor was rented to commercial tenants, among them McGregory and Casman Monuments, likely successors to the Springfield Marble Works that had occupied the site. Upper floors held Unity Hall, a meeting space used by the First Spiritualist Society and its Ladies Aid Society. The building reflects the spread of downtown commerce southward, away from the railroad station but near State and Main Streets. McKinney sold it in 1909 to the Crossett Realty Trust. It retains much of its original character and was renovated for office use in 1981-82.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building reflects the southward commercial expansion of downtown Springfield in the early 1900s. It is described as an exceptionally well detailed, small-scale commercial block that has survived nearly intact. It also housed Unity Hall, used by the First Spiritualist Society.
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 83000755, listed February 24, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1121-27 Main St., Springfield |
|---|---|
| County | Hampden County |
| Listed | February 24, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000755 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as commercial offices; adaptive reuse and exterior renovation took place in 1981-82. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.10023, -72.58565 (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 83000755.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6801965
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.