Springfield Fire & Marine Insurance Co.
Why it's listed
Completed in 1905 at 195 State Street in Springfield, this three-story limestone building was constructed as the home office of the Springfield Fire & Marine Insurance Co. It stands on a corner at the northern edge of the downtown commercial area, across from a historic museum quadrangle. The Classical Revival design has a nine-bay facade with a recessed center entrance, a first story of wide courses suggesting a rusticated base, and two-story columns framing recessed upper windows. A modillioned cornice and a classically detailed parapet finish the top. The company was founded in 1849 by Marvin Chapin, survived heavy losses from the Chicago Fire of 1871 and the Boston Fire of 1872, and then grew rapidly. It occupied this building until 1966 and merged with the Insurance Company of North America in 1958. The building is valued as evidence of the city's early twentieth century prosperity and as a prominent local example of Classical Revival architecture. It later served as offices and school administration space.
Significance in brief: The building is argued to represent the growth and prosperity of Springfield in the early twentieth century through the expansion of a leading local insurance company. It is also described as an outstanding local example of Classical Revival architecture. It is judged to meet 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 83000766, listed February 24, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 195 State St., Springfield |
|---|---|
| County | Hampden County |
| Listed | February 24, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000766 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used at the time of the 1981 survey as offices and school administration; owned by the City of Springfield. No major alterations are recorded. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.10167, -72.58584 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 83000766.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7580956
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.