___________________

Having trouble? View the movie on our YouTube channel!

2011 Massachusetts’ Most Endangered Historic Resources

(listed by community, in alphabetical order):

PM’s 2011 Most Endangered Historic Resources List is a special edition, focusing on the communities of central and western Massachusetts hit by the damaging June 1st tornadoes and storms.

The Springfield Boys Club Camp, Brimfield

The Springfield Boys Club was founded in 1891 by a group of “spirited” Springfield men, with the mission of serving primarily inner city children. The Logan Farm in Brimfield was acquired in 1920, and the club has operated their camp it its site until about 5 years ago. The historic buildings of the camp include the Greek Revival Lumbard House and the Rotary Dining hall.

This 82-acre property was devastated by the June 1st tornado. Thousands of trees were broken, uprooted and twisted to the ground and slammed into buildings and wind gusts lifted roofing and siding off utility, recreation, and administration buildings. The future of the site had been tenuous prior to the storm but facing the considerable costs of cleanup and repair to the damaged historic buildings may prove to be too much. There is concern that should the camp could be sold, the historic Lumbard House, Dining Hall and other historic buildings would be lost. The camp is significant to the town and surrounding community, and listing as an endangered resource will hopefully garner local support to help fund funders and others interested in preserving and restoring this unique site that has served generations of children

Town Offices Building, Monson

Monson’s Town Office Building is a large Classical Revival structure, constructed of brick and cast concrete in 1925. The main entrance is embellished with decorative cast concrete with the second floor window above the same. The building itself sits in a hollow off of Main Street on a prominent corner in the center of Monsons’ downtown. It is located in front of Veterans field used for town sporting programs and immediately north of the historic Norcross Cemetery. The setting has changed very little and the majority of the buildings in the area remain as they were in 1925.

Like much of downtown Monson, the Town Offices suffered damage during the tornado to the extent that operations had to be relocated to another site. There is concern that the damage may afford the opportunity to demolish and build a newer facility on the site. However, the prominence and historic significance of the Town Office building is so imbedded along Main Street, its loss would be devastating, as this is considered “the” building in town. There is re-use potential for this building not only as the town’s administrative offices, but for for other uses as well, such as housing or commercial space that could benefit from historic tax credits and other preservation tools. Listing is hoped to encourage a view toward restoration and rehabilitation and encourage such a dialogue within the town.

Downtown Monson

Monson’s Main Street and lower High Street form the hub of the town, with historic homes, businesses, municipal buildings, and churches lining the street. High Street, Main Street, and their offshoots reflect Monson’s peak of prosperity at the turn of the 20th century. Before the June tornado, Monson’s center had a large number of well-preserved historic structures, including several magnificent institutional buildings constructed from the local granite that brought prosperity to the town. While many rural communities’ commercial centers faltered through the late 20th century, Monson’s has remained a strong and vibrant core of commercial, social, and cultural activity.

The June tornado ripped through the heart of Monson, Many of the town’s most iconic buildings suffered serious damage, including the First Congregational and Universalist-Unitarian Churches, which lost their steeples. Monuments, fencing, and landscaping were smashed in two cemeteries. A notable loss was the 1900 Romanesque Revival Holmes Gymnasium, once part of Monson Academy. Other significant buildings that suffered major damage include the 1804 Russ House, built by Luther Carter; Holmbrook, a mansion built for industrialist Cyrus Holmes circa 1870 and the town’s finest Second Empire building; and the 1830 Norcross House, the grandest temple-front Greek Revival home in the community.

On the positive side, Monson’s residents, businesses, churches, and town officials, and volunteers from outside town have pulled together with amazing resilience to help property owners clear debris and secure buildings. The community has set up a tornado relief fund to assist property owners with repairs, and has collected more than $300,000. The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission is working with Monson on a “revisioning” program to plan the town’s reconstruction.

The town possesses few tools to encourage preservation, such as demolition delay or protection ordinances for significant structures and sites. Though the town is working together, there is much need and resources such as FEMA do not fund historic preservation work. The amount of work is daunting but there is hope that promotion amongst the endangered will encourage commitment to the restoration and retention of Monson’s quintessential New England center, as well as a restoration of town pride and character.

The Howard Street Armory, Springfield

The Springfield State Armory was designed by the Boston-based partnership of Robert Wait and Amos Cutting and constructed in 1895. Its Romanesque Revival style is a continuation of the picturesque tradition in building armories, resembling a granite castle from a bygone era. Springfield residents first marched from its doors for military service during the 1898 Cuban campaign in 1898 and again in 1917 and for service in the two World Wars. The armory served the community as a space for social functions and the rear drill hall served as a homeless shelter during floods or fires. Most recently the Armory served as the South End Community Center.

Damage sustained during the tornado severely compromised the rear drill hall, which was demolished shortly after the storm. The main building also incurred damage and there is concern that it too may face eventual demolition, leaving a terrific architectural and historical gap in the neighborhood. The loss of the head house of the Armory would not only be significant to the streetscape, but its absence would diminish the value of the site and the likelihood of it being developed. The unfortunate loss of the drill shed does have a silver lining in that it presents the opportunity to for appropriate development which could meet the needs of the South End Community Center while retaining the Armory. Listing is hoped to encourage the restoration of the armory for use again as the South End Community Center and to retain this important local landmark.

Six Corners Neighborhood, Springfield

The Six Corners neighborhood is one of the smallest of the city’s seventeen neighborhoods. It contains 274 acres of land and boundaries principally are portions of School Street and Maple Street on the west; State Street on the north; Walnut Street on the east; and the Mill River on the south. Historically it is tied to the growth of the armory and Watershops, as it was developed for workers. Six Corners is the oldest settled area in Springfield outside of downtown and contains most of the Maple Hill and Ridgewood Local Historic Districts and the Watershops National Historic District.

Prior to the tornado, Six Corners was a challenging neighborhood that the city had begun to focus on redeveloping. These initial plans, however, did not encompass historic preservation plans. The historic significance of Six Corners offers opportunities, such as historic tax credits, that combined with rehabilitation and preservation planning could prove to be catalysts for further investment. Similar neighborhoods in communities, such as Providence, have seen the successful results of preservation planning and sensitive redevelopment. Listing is hoped to bring to the table the opportunities preservation can offer the city and work collaboratively toward a vision that benefits Six Corners, its history and all of Springfield.

Howard Street Primary School, Springfield

The Howard Street Primary School was constructed circa 1905 in response to the growing population in Springfield’s South End neighborhood. The school was designed by the local firm of Kirkham and Palette and one of their first of many public buildings the firm designed in the Springfield area. Though the brick, three-story building has lost some details over time, it retains most of its original unique character. It is part of the same historic streetscape as the Springfield State Armory.

The school sustained heavy tornado damage and that, combined with the school’s desirable location, raise extreme concern that it will be demolished for new development. Prior to the tornado, a developer for the school had been chosen through an RFP process but it appears to have since fallen through. Losing the school would be detrimental to the neighborhood that is facing strong development pressures and still feeling the loss of St. Joseph’s Church. The school itself offers a tremendous opportunity for an adaptive reuse that would meet development needs and retain an important piece of the South End’s history.

Commonwealth Academy, (formerly the MacDuffie School), Springfield

Commonwealth Academy, formerly the MacDuffie School was founded in 1890 by John and Abigail MacDuffie as a college preparatory school for girls. It is located on a 15-acre campus in the middle of Springfield’s Maple Hill neighborhood, a street lined with late 19th- and early 20th century mansions that were once homes to Springfield’s leading industrialists and businessmen. The MacDuffie School had an international reputation for its rigorous curriculum while the campus includes some of Springfield’s grandest homes, mature shade trees and landscaped grounds.

2010 saw the sale of the MacDuffie name and intellectual rights to a New York company who relocated the school to Granby for the 2011 school year. Local preservationists were concerned that finding an owner willing to undertake the preservation and maintenance of the historic campus would be difficult. One was found, with the vision to open a statewide innovation school and restore the campus to what it once was.

Then the tornado struck, destroying the majority of the mature trees on the campus, tearing the roof and attic story from the notable Ames House and doing major damage to its portico. The tile roof on the Foot-Wallace house sustained major damage, and windows, roofs, and decorative trim were severely damaged on the other campus buildings. The sale of the campus to its new owner proceeded despite tornado damage, but there is concern that the financial undertaking is extremely great and the new owner will be in need of as much support as possible. Utilization of tools such as tax credits and cooperation with the city will ensure this historic educational campus continues serving its prospective students and surrounding community. Listing on amongst the endangered will hopefully highlight how important this property is to Springfield and the potential success it can and hopefully will achieve.

The Junior Officer’s Quarters, Springfield

Built in 1870, the three story Junior Officer’s Quarters occupies a visible corner within the Springfield Armory and Springfield Technical Community College site. Built as a duplex, the building is residential in scale and still boasts original interior details. The building is symmetrical, with a party wall as the core and living and utilitarian spaces surrounding along the perimeter of the building.

The condition of the Junior Officer’s Quarters is generally poor, mostly due to age and neglect and currently there are no plans for the buildings use or restoration by its owner, STCC. A feasibility study undertaken by DCAM stated that possible use and code compliance would be difficult due to the configuration of the building. Though the building was not directly impacted by the tornado, it will feel the negative after effects, as a tight financial climate, limited funding resources and other concerns around the city will psychologically lower the priority of this building. Regardless of the current lack of reuse plans, the building should be maintained as it is a contributing component to a National Historical Park and a National Historical Landmark.

Adams Cemetery, Wilbraham

Established in 1738, Adams Cemetery is Wilbraham’s oldest known place of interment with the first recorded burial having taken place in 1741. The oldest part of the cemetery bares all the hallmarks of an early 18th century burial ground, with its rectangular shape, rows of individual graves marked by intricately carved tablets and setting at near the center of town. The cemetery has grown with Wilbraham, expanding from its original one-acre plot to approximately five acres surrounded by a fence. Today cemetery holds around 1000 headstones and is still in active use.

The June 1 tornado ravaged the cemetery and abruptly halted the work of an extensive preservation project undertaken in 2010 by the Wilbraham Board of Cemetery Commissioners with support from the Wilbraham Community Preservation Committee. The tornado damaged approximately 70 shade trees, which in turn did significant damage to the cemetery’s perimeter fence and gravestones. A recent assessment found over 60 headstones and markers toppled and damaged along with the loss of a 100 year old shed. Though there has been vocal commitment to restoration, there is concern that there will not be enough funding or additional approval for fence repair or the replanting of lost trees. Listing amongst the endangered is hoped to help to secure support for each of these important efforts and help build public recognition of the importance of Wilbraham’s oldest know burial place and one of the town’s most historic landscapes.