The early 20th century saw the rise of the Craftsman style architecture. It grew out of the Arts & Crafts movement, a reaction to the ornate styles and decor of the Victorian era. Its arrival in Springfield coincided with a building boom in single-family houses in neighborhoods such as Pine Point, Forest Park, Liberty Heights, and East Springfield. The popularity of Craftsman homes also occurred at the same time as use of concrete block for foundations and sometimes for entire houses.

The tour will focus on some of the earliest and more unusual Craftsman houses in Springfield. It will leave from the corner of Berkshire Avenue and Dewey Street. On-Street parking is available on Dewey, Hobson, and Elizabeth Streets.

The Second Saturday Tours series explores historic Springfield and is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums and is generously sponsored by the Springfield Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council.

About the Tour Guide

Bob McCarroll has been a significant force for the preservation of Springfield’s historic properties since the mid-1970s, when he was part of the reactivation of the Springfield Preservation Trust into an advocacy organization.

Between 1972 and 2002, he worked in the Springfield Planning Department, where he helped create five of the early local historic districts. Now retired, Bob served for 11 years on the Springfield Historical Commission and has served on the Springfield Community Preservation Committee since its formation in 2017. Bob has served for more than 45 years on the board of the Springfield Preservation Trust, where he has organized house tours, worked on self-guided walking tour brochures, and applied for and coordinated grant work at 77 Maple Street. Bob is a long-time resident of the Mattoon Street Historic District and coordinates the annual Mattoon Street Arts Festival, the region’s oldest arts and crafts show. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of William and Mary and a Master of City and Regional Planning degree from Rutgers University.

Bob is a recipient of the 2016 Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservation Awards Local Preservationist Award, the 2018 Preservation Massachusetts K. Julie McCarthy Community Spirit Award, the 2018 Order of William Pynchon Award, and the 2024 Mass History Alliance Bay State Legacy Award.

About the Springfield Preservation Trust

Founded in 1972, the Springfield Preservation Trust strives to preserve and protect properties in Springfield that have architectural or historic significance. As the only non-profit, non-government advocacy group for historic preservation in Springfield, the Trust will continue to be the voice of preservation into the future. Learn more at springfieldpreservation.org.