United States Whip Company Complex
Also known as: United States Line Company Complex
Why it's listed
Seven brick buildings along Main Street in Westfield, Massachusetts, make up the former United States Whip Company complex, built between 1855 and 1912. The oldest, Building One, dates to about 1855 and housed the principal whip-making machinery for the American Whip Company. It is a three-and-a-half-story Italianate mill with brick corbelling and an engaged tower. Later additions included an 1891 office and manufacturing wing, a boiler house, and storage and warehouse buildings. The company was incorporated in 1892 through the consolidation of the American Whip Company and several smaller local firms. Westfield was known as the Whip City of the World, and this firm was described as the largest and leading maker of carriage driving whips from 1855 to 1926. The complex is tied to patents and machines that shaped the industry. Alterations include a 1927 theater and storefront changes, and in 1982-83 the interiors were converted to apartments, with two new buildings added. Building Four and the courtyard infill building are considered non-contributing.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the complex is nationally significant in industry and invention, and indirectly transportation, as the home of the world's largest carriage whip manufacturer between 1855 and 1926. The company and its predecessors contributed to the design of driving whips and to the machinery used to make them. The form cites criteria A, B 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 83003983, listed November 29, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 24 Main St., Westfield |
|---|---|
| County | Hampden County |
| Listed | November 29, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83003983 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1855-1926 |
| Architect / builder | American Whip Company; United States Whip Company; United States Line Company |
| Architectural style | Italianate (simple ornamentation on Building Number One); utilitarian mill construction |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Transportation, Architecture, Invention |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Interiors were adaptively reused as residential apartments in 1982-83 under a certified rehabilitation; two new non-contributing buildings were added in 1982-83, and Building Four is non-contributing. |
| Acreage | 2.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.12009, -72.74779 (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 83003983.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7892298
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.