Quadrangle-Mattoon Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Why it's listed
This twelve-acre district in Springfield, Massachusetts, lies beside the Springfield Armory grounds along Byers, Pearl, Spring and Salem Streets. It extends an existing historic district and contains thirty-six principal buildings, one large outbuilding and a small park. Development began in the 1830s as housing near the Armory. The oldest surviving houses date from 1850 and mix Greek Revival and Italianate features. Later single- and two-family homes show Second Empire, Stick, Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles, often built by local masons and carpenters. From 1895, brick apartment blocks replaced many older houses, and by 1930 over half the district consisted of four- and five-story buildings, many with red pressed brick and marble trim in bow-front Georgian Revival form. They housed clerical and retail workers from downtown businesses. French-Canadian builders, notably the Gagnier and Angers families, carried out most construction after 1899. Armoury Commons, a park built in 1977, adds open space. Despite demolitions, the district keeps substantial integrity.
Significance in brief: The extension adds a wider range of architectural styles from Springfield's industrial and early modern periods, including Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Stick, Queen Anne and Colonial Revival houses. It also holds a dense group of four-story brick apartment blocks, described as Springfield's most characteristic building type. The neighborhood's growth from single-family homes to apartment housing reflects the city's commercial expansion and the role of local builders, including French-Canadian families.
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 00001393, listed November 22, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Byers, Pearl, Spring and Salem Sts., Springfield |
|---|---|
| County | Hampden County |
| Listed | November 22, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00001393 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Perkins & Gardner; Guy Kirkham; Zephaniah Spooner; Emerson Crosier; Lebbeus C. Smith; Frederick B. Taylor; William Birnie; LeGrand C. Sheldon |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Romanesque Revival, Stick, Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, Georgian Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, Modern |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Black, European, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in residential and commercial use. Some wood-frame buildings have asbestos or asphalt siding and some apartment blocks have altered windows. Nearly twenty houses, four apartment blocks and one store have been demolished since 1930. |
| Acreage | 12 |
| Coordinates | 42.10458, -72.58550 (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 00001393.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7268306
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.