Westfield Municipal Building
Also known as: State Normal School
Why it's listed
Built in 1889-92 on Court Street in downtown Westfield, this brick building with brownstone trim and a granite foundation was constructed for the State Normal School. Boston architects Hartwell and Richardson designed it in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, and the Darling Brothers of Worcester built it. Its round-arched entrances, gabled wings, clock face and slate roof reflect the heavy, solid character of H. H. Richardson's work. The school it housed began at Barre in 1839 and moved to Westfield in 1844. It is described as the second oldest public teacher training institution in the country and the oldest co-educational one. Its graduates and faculty included a future cabinet secretary, a chemist who developed food purity standards, and a Japanese legislator. The interior was altered in 1959 when the building became the municipal building, and two brick additions were made for vault and storage space. The city still owns and uses it for government.
Significance in brief: The building is significant as the former home of the second oldest public teacher training school in the nation and the oldest co-educational one. It is also architecturally notable as an example of the Richardsonian Romanesque style that followed H. H. Richardson's death, with heavy round arches, solid masonry and a high pitched roof.
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 78000449, listed March 8, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 59 Court St., Westfield |
|---|---|
| County | Hampden County |
| Listed | March 8, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000449 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1889-92 |
| Architect / builder | Hartwell and Richardson (architects); Darling Brothers of Worcester (builders) |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the City of Westfield and occupied as the municipal building since the 1959 conversion; condition listed as fair and altered. |
| Acreage | 3.3 |
| Within district | Westfield Center Commercial Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.12077, -72.75471 (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 78000449.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7988716
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.