Milton-Bradley Company
Why it's listed
This group of brick industrial buildings at Park, Cross and Willow Streets on the edge of downtown Springfield housed the Milton Bradley Company as it grew from a small lithography shop into a national maker of games and educational materials. The firm was founded in 1860 and moved to Willow Street in 1882 into a building owned by George Tapley. It was incorporated in 1884. The plant expanded through the early 20th century until it filled an entire city block, with construction dates of about 1880, 1888, 1905 and 1912. The buildings are large, simplified and utilitarian, with coursing, brick corbels and cornices that give the long facades a strong rhythm. The company left for East Longmeadow in the 1960s, and the complex was converted to apartments in 1979. It is considered a rare surviving composite grouping of late 19th century industrial buildings in the survey area, and it retains much of its exterior integrity.
Significance in brief: The complex is tied to Springfield's industrial growth and to the Milton Bradley Company, which became a nationally known maker of games and educational materials. It is also an intact, handsome group of industrial structures built to house a rapidly expanding firm, with carefully detailed brick trim.
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 83000756, listed February 24, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Park, Cross, and Willow Sts., Springfield |
|---|---|
| County | Hampden County |
| Listed | February 24, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000756 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Panel Brick |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Converted to housing in 1979 through adaptive reuse; the present use is residential. The company moved to East Longmeadow in the 1960s. |
| Acreage | 2.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.10044, -72.58310 (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 83000756.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715711
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.