Springfield Preservation Trust

Springfield’s Lost Riverfront (A Walking Tour)
2025-06-14 10:30 - 12:00 UTC | Riverfront Park, Springfield, MA
Come learn about the historic Springfield riverfront, including histories of the bridges, steamboat access, buildings, and even the sewage system.
Derek Strahan will be leading the Second Saturday Tours series on June 14th at 10:30am. It will start at Riverfront Park, at the parking lot directly across from the end of State Street. The Springfield Preservation Trust walking tours this season are sponsored by the Springfield Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council.
This walking tour departs from the Riverfront Park at 10:30am and ends at 12pm. The tour is $5 for Springfield Preservation Trust, Springfield Museums, and $10 for non-members, payable in advance on Eventbrite or at the tour’s outset.
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
Derek Strahan is a former board member and former chair of the Educational Programming committee at the Springfield Preservation Trust, which is focused on protecting, preserving, and promoting historic properties in Springfield. He was on the board from 2017-2024 and served as president of the nonprofit from 2019 to 2023. He leads historic walking tours of Springfield, presents lectures about Springfield’s history, and has also been a costumed interpreter at several of the organization’s annual “Voices of the Grave” cemetery tours. Aside from his work with the Trust, Strahan also runs the local history website LostNewEngland.com, and he is the author of “Lost Springfield, Massachusetts” and “New England Then and Now,” and is the host of the Western Mass History podcast. Derek has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Bachelor of Science degree in Regional Planning from Westfield State University, and currently serves as a land use and environmental planner at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. He and his wife Melissa are proud owners of a circa 1760 farmhouse, where they are raising their two young sons.
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.

Underground Railroad: Springfield’s Contributions to Emancipation (Tour)
2025-07-12 10:30 - 12:00 | Tower Square, 1500 Main Street, Springfield
Immerse yourself in the history of Springfield by visiting locations and meeting people who embody the perseverance, ingenuity, and resilience of some of the city’s early residents. The Underground Railroad, a network of many people and places, played a significant role in Springfield’s history, making it a destination for freedom seekers and activists like Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and John Brown.
This walking tour departs from the Tower Square at 10:30am and ends at 12pm. The tour is $5 for Springfield Preservation Trust, Springfield Museums & PAHMUSA members, and $10 for non-members, payable in advance on Eventbrite or at the tour’s outset.
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 PAHMUSA
This event is presented in partnership with the Pan African Historical Museum USA (PAHMUSA), a vital institution dedicated to connecting the African Diaspora to Springfield, MA, and its surrounding communities. Founded in 1995 by Lujuana Hood, PAHMUSA is located in Tower Square (1500 Main Street) in Springfield, MA. To learn more about its mission and exhibits, visit pahmusa.org or follow them on Instagram at @pahmusa1619.
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.

Rushville: Springfield’s Oldest Craftsman Neighborhood (A Walking Tour)
2025-08-09 10:30 - 12:00 | MA
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.

Springfield Armory: Hill Shops Walking Tour
2025-09-13 10:30 - 12:00 | Springfield Armory National Historic Site, 1 Armory St #2, Springfield, MA, 01105, United States
Join us for a walking tour of the historic Hill Shops at the Springfield Armory, with Springfield Armory National Historic Site staff member and tour guide Carl Steele. Learn about the unique architecture around the green and what the buildings were used for when the Armory was in operation.
This is your opportunity to visit the Springfield Armory National Historic Site that commemorates the role of the nation’s first armory by preserving and interpreting the world’s largest historic U.S. military small arms collection, along with historic archives, buildings and landscape. Learn more about the Armory at: https://www.nps.gov/spar
The tour departs from the Springfield Armory. The tour is $5 for Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums members, and is $10 for non-members, payable in advance on Eventbrite, or in cash or check at the outset of the tour.
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 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.

Made in Springfield: Places & People of Springfield's Industrial Legacy
2025-10-11 10:30 - 12:00 | Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards Street, Springfield, MA, 01103, United States
Explore downtown Springfield and learn about the places and people who invented and created in Springfield in its industrial heyday.
Springfield is the home of the first gas powered automobile, the monkey wrench, basketball… and so much more. Come see what made Springfield the center of innovation in the late 19th Century, and examined the geographies and buildings where it all began.
The tour departs from the Springfield Museums Welcome Center at 10:30am. The tour is $5 for Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums members, and is $10 for non-members, payable in advance on Eventbrite, or in cash or check at the outset of the tour.
This tour is part of the Second Saturday Tours series, which 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
Erica Swallow is president of the Springfield Preservation Trust board of directors. She also serves as a Springfield Museums Advancement Committee member and Forest Park Civic Association board member, and is a local REALTOR®. She holds an MBA from MIT Sloan and other degrees from NYU Stern and Simmons University, with nearly two decades of marketing experience in the fields of technology and education. Raised in Arkansas and educated in New York and Boston, she chose Springfield as home out of love for its deep history, cultural diversity, and progressive energy. She has served on several Springfield City Council committees and is proud and honored to live in the Forest Park Historic District. She is the mother of two cats.
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.

“Voices from the Grave” Cemetery Tour 2025
2025-10-19 13:00 - 15:00 | Springfield Cemetery, 171 Maple Street, Springfield, MA, United States
Learn about important figures in Springfield history at the annual “Voices from the Grave” historic cemetery tour. Hosted by the Springfield Preservation Trust and developed by SPT Secretary Michael Stevens, the tour is an hour-long experience through Springfield Cemetery. It is led by docents who take visitors on a tour to graves of interesting cemetery residents, where costumed interpreters speak about each person of intrigue.

Hour-long walking tours will depart every fifteen minutes starting at 1:00PM at Springfield Cemetery, 171 Maple Street.

Tickets are $20 for Springfield Preservation Trust members, and $25 for non-members. (Use the “SPTMember” promo code to receive $5 off per ticket.) Please enter through the Maple Street entrance and check in at the registration table 5-10 minutes before your tour. This event is held rain or shine!

Hour-long walking tours will depart every fifteen minutes, on October 20 starting at 1:00PM at Springfield Cemetery, 171 Maple Street.

Mind & Medicine: An Architectural Bus Tour of Historic Health Institutions
2026-04-11 10:30 - 12:00 | MA
This Second Saturday Tour explores medical buildings and history, all from the comfort of a Peter Pan charter bus. The tour will take place on Saturday, Apr 11, from 10:30 am to 12 pm.

Hosted in partnership with Springfield Museums—and sponsored by Peter Pan Bus Lines—this guided bus tour offers a fascinating journey through Springfield’s most historically significant medical institutions. Purchase tickets for $20 for members and $25 for non-members through Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mind-medicine-an-architectural-bus-tour-of-historic-health-institutions-tickets-1985850457175?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Led by Dr. Kate Benson, the tour explores how architecture, medicine, and social history intersect—highlighting the buildings and institutions that shaped the city’s approach to mental health and disability care. From visionary founders to evolving treatment philosophies, each stop reveals stories that continue to influence Springfield today.

Perfect for history enthusiasts, architecture lovers, medical professionals, and curious locals alike, this experience invites you to see the city through a new lens—comfortably aboard a Peter Pan charter bus.
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.

Springfield Armory: Hill Shops Walking Tour
2026-05-09 10:30 - 12:00 | MA
Springfield Armory: Hill Shops Walking Tou

Join us for a walking tour of the historic Hill Shops at the Springfield Armory, with Springfield Armory tour guide Carl Steele. This will take place on May 9 from 10:30am-12pm. Register here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/springfield-armory-hill-shops-walking-tour-tickets-1985857520301?aff=erellivmlt

Join us for a walking tour of the historic Hill Shops at the Springfield Armory, with Springfield Armory National Historic Site staff member and tour guide Carl Steele. Learn about the unique architecture around the green and what the buildings were used for when the Armory was in operation.
This is your opportunity to visit the Springfield Armory National Historic Site that commemorates the role of the nation’s first armory by preserving and interpreting the world’s largest historic U.S. military small arms collection, along with historic archives, buildings and landscape. Learn more about the Armory at: https://www.nps.gov/spar
Second Saturday Tours explore historic Springfield. The series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust, Springfield Museums, and Springfield Libraries—and is generously sponsored by the Springfield Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council. This specific tour, offered for free, is made possible through funding provided by the American Alliance of Museums and National Park Service.

Underground Railroad: Springfield’s Contributions to Emancipation (Tour)
2026-06-13 10:30 - 12:00 | MA
Underground Railroad: Springfield’s Contributions to Emancipation (Tour)

Visit locations and meet people that salute the perseverance, ingenuity, and resilience of some of Springfield’s unsung early residents. Purchase tickets here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/underground-railroad-springfields-contributions-to-emancipation-tour-tickets-1985858726910?aff=erellivmlt. Meet at Tower SquareSpringfield, MA on Saturday, Jun 13 from 10:30 am to 12 pm.

Immerse yourself in the history of Springfield by visiting locations and meeting people who embody the perseverance, ingenuity, and resilience of some of the city’s early residents. The Underground Railroad, a network of many people and places, played a significant role in Springfield’s history, making it a destination for freedom seekers and activists like Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and John Brown.
This walking tour departs from the Tower Square lobby at 10:30am and ends at 12pm. The tour is $5 for Springfield Preservation Trust, Springfield Museums & PAHMUSA members, and $10 for non-members, payable in advance on Eventbrite or at the tour’s outset.
Second Saturday Tours explore historic Springfield. The series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust, Springfield Museums, and Springfield Libraries—and is generously sponsored by the Springfield Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council.
About PAHMUSA
This event is presented in partnership with the Pan African Historical Museum USA (PAHMUSA), a vital institution dedicated to connecting the African Diaspora to Springfield, MA, and its surrounding communities. Founded in 1995 by Lujuana Hood, PAHMUSA is located in Tower Square (1500 Main Street) in Springfield, MA. To learn more about its mission and exhibits, visit pahmusa.org or follow them on Instagram at @pahmusa1619.
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.
