Westfield Center Commercial Historic District
Why it's listed
Westfield Center Commercial Historic District is a stretch of Elm Street in downtown Westfield, Massachusetts, running between the Westfield River and Park Square, the town green. Elm Street also carries US Route 20. Seventeen buildings, dating from 1867 to 1960, line the two blocks, and all but one church are commercial buildings of one to four stories set against the sidewalk. Brick predominates, though several early wood-frame shops remain. Styles range from Italianate and Queen Anne to Colonial Revival and Classical Revival, with cast iron storefronts, pressed metal cornices and cast stone trim as notable details. The district is important as the town's main commercial center. Frame shops built by local businessmen before 1870 were followed by three-story brick blocks such as the Lamberton-Loomis, Lane and Loomis, Lakin-Hall and Gillett buildings. They housed hardware, boot and clothing stores, pharmacies, offices, lodging rooms and a YMCA. Small entrepreneurs, including women running millinery and bakery businesses, started out here.
Significance in brief: The district preserves Westfield's central commercial blocks, with Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Classical Revival buildings of brick and frame construction. Its history shows how local merchants and small entrepreneurs, including women business owners, built and used investment properties from the 1870s onward. Cast iron storefronts, pressed metal cornices and cast stone trim survive on several buildings.
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 08000506, listed June 10, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 91-115, 100-174 Elm St., Westfield |
|---|---|
| County | Hampden County |
| Listed | June 10, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000506 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Italianate/Queen Anne; Late 19th Century Revivals/Colonial Revival/Classical Revival/Italian Renaissance |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Sixteen contributing buildings and one noncontributing building (the 1960 Alonzo Building); many storefronts have been altered, and ground floors are in commercial use. |
| Acreage | 4.3 |
| Within district | Westfield Center Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.12309, -72.76026 (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 08000506.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16903146
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.