Produce Exchange Building
Why it's listed
Occupying a busy corner at Chestnut and Lyman Streets in downtown Springfield, this four-story L-shaped block of red brick was built in 1899 for Andrew Whitney. Yellow trim sets it apart, including the storefronts, beltcourses and a wide diamond-patterned entablature. Most of that look dates from 1925 and 1926, when about $15,000 was spent rebuilding the Chestnut and Lyman Street facades. By 1908 the building was being called the Produce Exchange Building, and it served as a center of the wholesale produce and fruit business, with many firms operating here over the years. The site beside the railroad freight yards and warehouses suited that trade, since the grocery business depended on regular rail service well into the twentieth century. The building is listed for its role in the city's commercial history and remains one of the largest and most intact blocks of its period downtown. It is still in commercial use.
Significance in brief: The building is argued to meet criterion A for its role as the city's center of the wholesale produce and fruit trade, first called the Produce Exchange Building in 1908. Its location beside the railroad freight yards suited the grocery trade, which relied on rail service. It is also described as one of the largest and most intact blocks of its period downtown.
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 83000761, listed February 24, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 194-206 Chestnut and 115-125 Lyman St., Springfield |
|---|---|
| County | Hampden County |
| Listed | February 24, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000761 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | 20th century Commercial Facade |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is commercial; the facades were rebuilt in 1926 and the building is described as retaining integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.10719, -72.59119 (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 83000761.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7247682
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.