Olmsted-Hixon-Albion Block
Why it's listed
Three commercial buildings at 1645-1659 Main Street in Springfield were joined in 1927 to form a single five-story brick block, though the original divisions remain visible on the exterior. The southern section, three bays wide, carries delicate Adamesque motifs on its piers and spandrels. The central section, six bays wide, is plainer, with a paneled brick cornice and an oriel on the second and third floors. The northern section, two bays wide, has a bracketed cornice and quoined corners from the 1927 remodeling. The sections date from 1862, 1866 and 1875. John Hixon built one for his boot and shoe business, later used by William Birnie's paper company after a 1892 fire and rebuilding. John Olmsted, a leading businessman and street railway president, built another as offices and warehouse. The third began as a boarding house and became the Albion Block in 1877. Architect Wallace Dibble designed the consolidation, which added a fifth floor to the Albion Block. The block represents downtown Springfield's continual rebuilding.
Significance in brief: The block is presented as a major Main Street block and an excellent example of downtown Springfield's long history of building and rebuilding. Its parts date from 1862 to 1927, coinciding with the city's major period of significance. It is said to retain integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship, and meets criteria A and C.
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 83000758, listed February 24, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1645-1659 Main St., Springfield |
|---|---|
| County | Hampden County |
| Listed | February 24, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000758 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1862-1927 |
| Architect / builder | Wallace Dibble (1927 consolidation); Jason Perkins (1892 plans for the 1653-1655 section) |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is retail/office. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.10436, -72.59390 (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 83000758.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7088430
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.