Smith's Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1897 at 201-207 Worthington Street in downtown Springfield, this five-story brick commercial block has a second-floor mezzanine divided into five bays by rusticated piers. Upper floors are separated by piers carrying segmental arches, and a corbeled cornice and pierced parapet finish the design. Cast iron piers divide the storefronts into three bays, and early leaded transoms survive. The first occupant was the McIntosh Company, one of the region's oldest and largest shoe jobbing houses, which moved on in 1913. In 1914 Fred Smith relocated his billiard parlor and bowling alleys here. The second floor held billiards, while the upper three floors housed twenty-two candlepin lanes. Before World War II the building was a center of candlepin bowling in western Massachusetts. The lanes were removed in the early 1960s, but the billiard parlor continues to operate and keeps at least seven tables from the 1905 St. Louis Exposition. The building is recognized for this industrial and recreational history and its Romanesque Revival character.
Significance in brief: The building is significant for its association with one of Springfield's important industries, the shoe jobbing trade, and as the home of a major recreational complex of billiards and candlepin bowling. It is also a good local example of late nineteenth century commercial architecture with Panel Brick and Romanesque Revival elements. It retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship.
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 83000764, listed February 24, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 201-207 Worthington St., Springfield |
|---|---|
| County | Hampden County |
| Listed | February 24, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000764 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Panel brick/Romanesque Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is commercial; the billiard parlor is still operating, and the original interior billiard parlor fittings largely remain. Storefronts were altered around 1930. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.10406, -72.59228 (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 83000764.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7544841
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.