Springfield Preservation Trust

2025 Annual Meeting
2025-03-02 13:00 - 14:30 UTC | Student Prince, 9 Fort Street, Springfield, MA, 01103, United States
Join the Springfield Preservation Trust, on March 2nd at 1:00pm, for the 2025 Annual Meeting, at Student Prince, at 8 Fort Street.
The 2025 Annual Meeting will feature an overview of the past year, the election of the board of directors, the release of the 2024 Annual Report, a look at the year to come, a Community Preservation Act update, and announcement of the 2025 Most Endangered Historic Resources List.
The meeting will conclude with a brief development update by guest speaker Ed Woodbury​​​​, president of McCaffery Interests, preferred developer for the Main Street and Convention District Development including the Clock Tower Building, Colonial Block, and 11-21 Stockbridge Street.
The meeting will be open to SPT members and the public.
Programming will include:

Election of the 2025 Board of Directors
Introduction of the 2025 Most Endangered Historic Resources List
Community Preservation Act update
The Year in Review
The Year Ahead
A brief development update by Ed Woodbury, ​​​​ President of McCaffery Interests, about the firm’s downtown redevelopment projects

Programming is expected to last about 75 minutes.
Please email info@springfieldpreservation.org to reserve your spot(s) by February 26th.
Metered parking is free on Sundays—find a free metered parking spot or park in the Hampden Street parking lot that crosses Fort Street. (Lot entrances are on Hampden & Fort Streets.)

50+ Years of Historic Preservation in Springfield: History of the Springfield Preservation Trust (Virtual Lecture)
2025-02-13 19:00 - 20:30 | MA
Springfield is the “City of Homes” and “City of Firsts,” a treasure worth protecting. As the only non-profit/non-government advocate group for historic preservation in Springfield, the Springfield Preservation Trust has been active in Springfield since 1972. Through Advocacy, Restoration, and Community Engagement, the Trust has done its part in ensuring Springfield’s architectural and historical assets have been preserved and the public educated about the importance of our history and built environment. Join this virtual lecture on February 13th at 7:00pm to learn about the history of the Springfield Preservation Trust, alongside the historic preservation history of the great city of Springfield.

About the Lecture Series & Presenter
This virtual lecture is part of the Winter Lecture Series, co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust, Springfield Museums, and Springfield City Library. The lecture will be streamed on the Springfield Preservation Trust Facebook Page.

The lecture will be presented by Jim Boone. Jim Boone has been on the Trust board of the SPT since 1977. He is a retired school counselor who worked with special needs students and a retired 30-year realtor, who specialized in historic houses. He lives in Springfield’s McKnight Historic District, where he has been a resident since 1976, restoring three homes. Jim has written and lectured about house restoration, Springfield, and McKnight District history; overseen restoration of five SPT house projects; and is a docent at the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History. Jim is also on the board of Vinalhaven Land Trust, where he has served for 15 years, organizing summer programs and lectures. He has previously served on the Springfield Historical Commission.

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. To learn more, visit our website at springfieldpreservation.org.

A Victorian Winter Wonderland—2025 Winter Fundraiser
2025-01-26 13:00 - 16:00 | Loomis-Wesson Mansion, 220 Maple Street, Springfield, MA, 01105, United States
Celebrate this winter season at Loomis-Wesson Mansion in a Victorian Winter Wonderland. Victorian-inspired attire encouraged but optional.
The Springfield Preservation Trust’s 2025 Winter Fundraiser—with the theme “A Victorian Winter Wonderland”—will be held at the Loomis-Wesson Mansion, the stately high gothic Victorian at 220 Maple Street, courtesy of homeowner and host Angelene Huang.
Enter the mansion… and travel back in time to the Victorian period. Victorian-inspired attire is encouraged but optional—think brightly colored waistcoats, vests, and puff ties on the masculine side, or long skirts, bonnets, and shawls, on the feminine side… like a Charles Dickens novel!
The event, taking place on January 26, 2025, at 1:00pm, will feature music, hors d’oeuvres, wine, beverages, a silent auction, 50/50 raffle, and a historic home tour of the mansion.
Support the Springfield Preservation Trust in its mission to preserve and protect properties in Springfield, Massachusetts which have architectural, historic, educational, or general cultural significance—including properties such as this one!—by attending our Annual Winter Fundraiser this year!
Tickets are sold out for this event.
If you bought a ticket please park your car at 1 Ames Hill Drive and then walk to 220 Maple Street. Please provide the name of the person who bought the tickets when entering the event.
Photos courtesy of Seven Roads Real Estate Media

Deciphering Springfield Cemetery's Oldest Gravestones: Symbolism & Carvers (Virtual Lecture)
2025-01-09 19:00 - 20:30 | MA
Explore the old section of Springfield Cemetery and learn about its oldest gravestones, the symbolism of their designs, and who carved them.
Springfield Cemetery contains the oldest existing gravestones in the city, including hundreds of stones that date to the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries. Most of these were produced by local stonecutters, and their work reflects the changing styles of gravestone art and attitudes toward death during and immediately after the colonial period. Join local historian Derek Strahan via virtual lecture on January 9th at 7:00pm as he explores some of the highlights from the old section of Springfield Cemetery, including an overview of the evolution of gravestone styles, the symbolic meanings of the design elements, as well as the identities of these local gravestone carvers.

About the Lecture Series & Presenter
This virtual lecture is part of the Winter Lecture Series, co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust, Springfield Museums, and Springfield City Library. The lecture will be streamed on the Springfield Preservation Trust Facebook Page.
The lecture will be presented by Derek Strahan. Derek Strahan is a board member and chair of the Educational Programming committee at the Springfield Preservation Trust, which is focused on protecting, preserving, and promoting historic properties in Springfield. He has been on the board since 2017 and served as president of the nonprofit from 2019 to 2023. He regularly 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. To learn more, visit our website at springfieldpreservation.org.

“Voices from the Grave” Cemetery Tour 2024
2024-10-20 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.

Thank you to our sponsors!
Turnberg & Swallow Team | Coldwell Banker
Turnkey Media
Focus Springfield
Crystal Miller Photography
Springfield Cemetery & Crematory

Springfield's Gilded Age: Art and Architecture from the City's Most Prosperous Period
2024-10-12 10:30 - 12:00 | Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards Street, Springfield, MA, 01103, United States
Join the Springfield Preservation Trust for a walk around downtown Springfield to explore the legacy of the City during the Gilded Age, American’s most prosperous period. This tour will be guided by Westfield Athenaeum Executive Director Guy McLain and features art and architecture across Springfield’s metropolitan landscape.

Mark Twain described America in the late nineteenth century as a Gilded Age. And indeed, the country experienced economic growth that hasn’t been matched before or since. But it wasn’t just a time for building new factories and businesses. A significant portion of the wealth created at this time was funneled into the arts. Museums, libraries, colleges, orchestras, and opera houses were established at a rate that seems astounding today. Springfield, just 25 miles north of Twain’s home in Hartford, was a perfect example of the prosperity that he was describing. During the Gilded Age, Springfield citizens founded most of the cultural institutions, monuments, and civic buildings that still serve the city today. Also influencing art and architecture at this time was the City Beautiful Movement. This movement was dedicated to advocating for civic structures that would bring greater beauty and cohesion to American cities. Springfield fully embraced the principles of this movement, and as a result, some of the most beautiful buildings in the city today were products of this time.

About the Tour Guide
Guy McLain, currently the Executive Director of the Westfield Athenaeum, has been devoted to the preservation and dissemination of Western Massachusetts history for more than 40 years. Prior to his current appointment in Westfield he served on the staff of the University of Massachusetts Archives, was the Special Collections Librarian and Archivist for the Springfield City Library, and was the founding Director of the Wood Museum of Springfield History. He is the author of the Pioneer Valley: a Pictorial History (1991), and a novel titled Drawing Without an Eraser (2020). He has also published in the Historical Journal of Massachusetts and is the editor of the book Springfield Fights the Civil War.
The Second Saturday Walking Tour series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums, and generously sponsored by the Daboul Family Charitable Trust.

Springfield Armory: The Nation’s First Armory (A Walking Tour)
2024-09-14 10:30 - 12:00 | Springfield Armory National Historic Site, 1 Armory St #2, Springfield, MA, 01105, United States
See 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.

On this tour, attendees will explore the architectural details of buildings on the armory site, including the Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) campus and Springfield Armory Museum. Attendees will also explore the Museum collection.

Learn more about the Armory at: 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 Walking Tour series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums, and generously sponsored by the Daboul Family Charitable Trust.

Linen & Lace: A French Provincial Garden Party Fundraiser
2024-08-25 13:00 - 16:00 | Le’ Chateau Douillett, 400 Maple Street, Springfield, MA, 01105, United States
Join us for the Springfield Preservation Trust’s Annual Garden Party Fundraiser, featuring music, hors d’oeuvres, wine, beverages, and a gorgeous formal garden setting at Le’ Chateau Douillett, the bed and breakfast and events venue at 400 Maple Street, courtesy of homeowner and host Cheryl Duyette.
Summer linen and lace encouraged, to celebrate the “Linen & Lace: A French Provincial Garden Party Fundraiser” theme!
About the Home & Gardens
Built in 1929, 400 Maple Street is historically known as the Clarence Schoo House—the mansion is Springfield’s only example of a French Provincial house and was one of the last large homes to be built in what is now recognized as the Maple Hill Historic District. French Provincial style was popular in the period between the two world wars and is usually reserved for people of wealth. The grandeur of the home translates, too, to its formal gardens.
Nestled behind the grand chateau, the home’s formal French Provincial garden is characterized by its symmetrical and geometric design, meticulous layout, and use of hedges, topiaries, statues, and water features. In the heart of this garden stands a magnificent marble fountain, a centerpiece exuding grace and grandeur. Carved with intricate detail, water cascades from the fountain’s tiers into a pristine basin below, creating a serene melody that intermingles with the garden’s tranquility. Bluestone pathways guide visitors through meticulously manicured lawns and immaculate parterres adorned with vibrantly colored flowers, including roses, irises, wisteria, hydrangeas, tulips, echinacea, lavender, and daisies, among many more varieties.
“The plantings of a French Provincial property are usually heavily weighted in evergreens as well as flowers that are blue, purple and white,” Duyette shares. She keeps a garden log book of plantings in the library, tracking how various flora are performing on the estate. Stroll the grounds to see how many you can identify.
The garden epitomizes the elegance and precision associated with the French formal gardening style, showcasing meticulous design elements and an exquisite balance between natural beauty and human craftsmanship.
Support the Springfield Preservation Trust in its mission to preserve and protect properties in Springfield, Massachusetts which have architectural, historic, educational, or general cultural significance—including properties such as this one!—by attending our Annual Garden Party Fundraiser this year!
More about this Historic Home
400 Maple Street is two stories in height, smoothly stuccoed and topped off with a slate, hipped roof. The windows of the second story have fine, wrought iron balconies, and there are large patios in the front and rear of the house, accessible via large French doors. The original owners were Clarence J. and Grace H. Schoo. Clarence came to Springfield in 1920 and founded the General Fibre Box Co. He was intimately involved with the Eastern States Exposition, serving as a trustee since 1926. As a benefactor of Springfield College, he gave the classroom-science building which was dedicated in 1963 as the Clarence and Grace School Hall. Mr. Schoo was a lifelong friend of professional golfer Bobby Jones, with whom he was a founding member of the Augusta National Golf Club. He frequently played there with President Eisenhower, who affectionately referred to Clarence as “Schooey.”
The house is set on an acre of land that is beautifully landscaped. This was formerly part of the John Ames estate and was separated for the construction of this house. It was built in 1929 from designs of Boston architect John Barnard, at the cost of $45,000.

Victorian Era Churches: A Downtown Springfield Walking Tour
2024-08-10 10:30 - 12:00 | Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards Street, Springfield, MA, 01103, United States
See where Victorian era parishioners worshiped, in this Victorian Era Churches in Downtown Springfield Second Saturday Walking Tour, led by Bob McCarroll, board member and officer-at-large.
The tour departs from the Springfield Museums Welcome Center and will stop at:

The former North Congregational Church, designed by Henry Hobson Richardson
St. Michael’s Cathedral, the oldest Catholic church in Springfield
Christ Church Cathedral, designed by Lord & Fuller of Boston
South Congregational Church, called one of the finest examples of the High Victorian Gothic Revival style in America.

We will enter at least three churches, barring weddings or church services.
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 Walking Tour series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums, and generously sponsored by the Daboul Family Charitable Trust.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Morgan (Springfield Preservation Trust)

Springfield Food History Second Saturday Walking Tour
2024-07-13 10:30 - 12:00 | Stearns Square, 52-98 Stearns Square, Springfield, MA, 01103, United States
Curious about food history in Springfield? Come learn about the city’s delicious past—and taste a bit of the beauty along the way!
Join James Johnson, Executive Vice President of Springfield Preservation Trust, on the July Second Saturday Walking Tour. This walking tour will depart from Stearns Square and be filled with historic buildings of restaurants and local attractions. Additionally, there will be extra TASTY surprises on this tour for each visitor! This walking tour departs from Stearns Square, the heart of the Worthington Street Dining District (Stearns Square at Worthington Street).
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 Walking Tour series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums, and generously sponsored by the Daboul Family Charitable Trust.

2024 Underground Railroad Historic Walking Tour, presented with PAHMUSA
2024-06-08 10:30 - 12:00 | Tower Square, 1500 Main Street, Springfield
Visit locations and meet people that salute the perseverance, ingenuity, and resilience of some of Springfield’s unsung early residents. The Underground Railroad was comprised of many people and places—Springfield was an important destination for freedom seekers and activists like Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and John Brown.
Join the Springfield Preservation Trust, in partnership with the Pan African Historical Museum USA (PAHMUSA) for this Second Saturday Walking Tour. Special thank you to PAHMUSA Executive Director Sam Bradley and Board Member Regine Jackson for leading the organization and research of this tour.
This walking tour departs from the Tower Square Lobby, near Dunkin and Big Y. The tour is $5 for Springfield Preservation Trust, Springfield Museums, and PAHMUSA members, and is $10 for non-members, payable in advance on Eventbrite or at the outset of the tour. The tour is $5 for Springfield Preservation Trust, Springfield Museums, and PAHMUSA members, and is $10 for non-members, payable in advance on Eventbrite or at the outset of the tour.
The Second Saturday Walking Tour series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums, and generously sponsored by the Daboul Family Charitable Trust.
About PAHMUSA
This event is presented in partnership with the Pan African Historical Museum USA (PAHMUSA), a museum that links the African Diaspora to Springfield, MA and surrounding communities. PAHMUSA was founded in 1995 by Lujuana Hood and is located at Tower Square (1500 Main Street) in Springfield. To learn more, visit its website at pahmusa.org.
About the Springfield Preservation Trust
Founded in 1972, the Springfield Preservation Trust strives to preserve, protect, and promote 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. To learn more, visit its website at springfieldpreservation.org.

Historic Homes Tour & Social in the Quadrangle-Mattoon Street Historic District
2024-06-02 13:00 - 18:00 | Kimball Towers, 140 Chestnut Street, Springfield, MA, 01103, United States
Tour historic homes in Springfield’s Quadrangle-Mattoon Street Historic District, then enjoy hors d’oeuvres, music and libations at the post-tour social.
Springfield Preservation Trust to announce its 2024 Annual Historic Homes Tour, taking place this year in the Quadrangle-Mattoon Street Historic District.
The event will take place on Sunday, June 2, 2024 from 1:00-4:00pm, followed by a social gathering at the Springfield Museums, from 4:00-6:00pm, where hors d’oeuvres, libations, and live music by Nick Di Maria Quartet are in store. All of the buildings on this tour are only accessible through stairs. Attendees can pick up their tour brochure at the parking lot on Bridge Street across from Kimball Towers. Attendees will park, check in, and pick up a tour brochure. Attendees will park for the social after 4pm at Springfield Museums.
Attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy the striking beauty of these historic homes and structures, on the inside and out. This year, the tour will focus on the Quadrangle-Mattoon Street Historic District, which contains notable examples of 19th century architecture, both domestic and institutional. Additionally, it contains the cultural center of the city, located in one of the most unique urban open areas of its kind in Massachusetts. Quadrangle-Mattoon Street received its local historic district designation in 1972 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Past historic homes tours have opened hundreds of homes, showcased the wonderful neighborhoods of Springfield, and even encouraged people to buy homes in the city. Previous tours have included homes in Forest Park Heights (2023), Colony Hills (2019), Atwater Park (2018), Maple Street (2017), and McKnight (2016). The tour was canceled in 2020, 2021, and 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tickets are $20 (tour-only), $50 (social-only) or $70 (tour+social) for SPT members, and $25 (tour-only), $55 (social-only), or $80 (tour+social) for non-members. All tour proceeds support the Springfield Preservation Trust’s mission of preserving, protecting, and promoting properties in Springfield which have architectural, historic, educational, or general cultural significance.
The Historic Homes Tour & Social are made possible by sponsors, as well as by a grant from the Mass Cultural Council.

2024 Preservation Awards
2024-05-14 19:00 - 20:30 | MA
The Preservation Awards honor people and organizations helping to restore historic structures in Springfield. The 2024 awards ceremony will be hosted at Loophole Brewing, in the historic downtown building located at 51-59 Taylor Street. A cash bar and snacks for purchase will be available by Loophole Brewing. We hope you will join us for this special event. Learn more and RSVP by May 13 on Eventbrite.

Walking Tour: Valentine Mansion & the Ames Hill/Crescent Hill Historic District
2024-05-11 10:30 - 12:00 | Valentine Mansion, 270 Maple Street, Springfield, MA, 01105, United States
Tour the Valentine Mansion and surrounding Ames Hill/Crescent Hill Historic District, home of some of Springfield’s largest historic mansions.
Join local historian Derek Strahan on a walking tour of the Ames Hill/Crescent Hill Historic District. The tour will focus on the mansions lining Maple Street, Pine Street, and Crescent Hill and will kick off with an interior tour of Valentine Mansion, the circa 1879 home at 270 Maple Street, historically known as the Frederick Harris House and admirably perched on the crest of the hill on Maple Street.
The tour will begin at 10:30 a.m. on May 11th at the Valentine Mansion (270 Maple Street), and will last approximately 1.5 hours. The tour route is about 1 mile in length, along a path that gently ascends the hillside neighborhood, mostly along well-maintained, paved sidewalks.On-street parking is available on side streets, and limited accessible parking will be available at Valentine Mansion. Please be sure to not block driveways or fire hydrants.
The tour is $15 for Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums members, and is $20 for non-members, payable in advance via Eventbrite or check (payable to “Springfield Preservation Trust” and mailed to our office).
The Second Saturday Walking Tour series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums. The 2024 Second Saturday walking series is sponsored by Daboul Family Charitable Trust.

Forest Park Photography Walking Tour
2024-04-13 10:30 - 12:00 | Washington Boulevard & Magnolia Terrace Springfield, MA 01108, Washington Boulevard & Magnolia Terrace, Springfield, MA, 01108, United States
Do you love historic homes and architectural detail? Do you have a camera? Come tour the Forest Park Heights Historic District!
Do you love historic homes and architectural detail? Do you have a camera? Come tour the Forest Park Heights Historic District surrounding Springfield’s Forest Park with architectural photographer and SPT board member Kate Benson. Whether you’re bringing a smartphone, cellphone, digital camera, or even film camera, Kate will be on hand to answer all your questions about photographing historic homes and landscapes, and there will even be a special guest!
Bring your camera and your questions and join us for this installment of our Second Saturday Walking Tour!
LOGISTICS
The tour will begin at 10:30 a.m. on April 13th at Washington Blvd at Magnolia Terrace, and will last approximately 1.5 hours. The tour route is about 1 mile in length, along a level path mostly along well-maintained, paved sidewalks. On-street parking is available on Washington Blvd and side streets. Please be sure to not block driveways or fire hydrants.
TICKETS
The tour is $5 for Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums members, and is $10 for non-members, payable in advance via Eventbrite or check (payable to “Springfield Preservation Trust” and mailed to our office). Exact change or checks are accepted on-site, prior to the start of the tour.
THANK YOU, SPONSORS
The Second Saturday Walking Tour series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums, and generously sponsored by the Daboul Family Charitable Trust.

Nurturing Minds: A Journey through Women's Education & Historic Educational Institutions in Springfield
2024-03-14 19:00 - 20:30 | MA
Join us for an enlightening virtual lecture as we delve into the rich history of women’s education in Springfield, Massachusetts. We’ll explore private institutions such as The Elms and MacDuffie, as well as the challenges and triumphs faced by women seeking access to quality education in the city’s public schools. From the struggles for equal funding and resources to the efforts to integrate schools and promote diversity, we’ll uncover the stories of the women who fought tirelessly for educational equity while looking at some of Springfield’s lost schools such as Chestnut Middle School, Buckingham Junior High, and The Technical High School.
We’ll also explore the evolution of special education in Springfield, tracing its origins from early efforts to provide specialized instruction for students with disabilities to the development of comprehensive programs aimed at meeting the diverse needs of all learners including Three Rivers, Springfield’s only residential treatment program housed in a historic building. We’ll highlight the contributions of pioneering educators and advocates who have worked to ensure that every student, regardless of ability, has access to a meaningful and inclusive education.
This virtual lecture will take place on the Springfield Preservation Trust Facebook Page at facebook.com/PreserveSpringfield.
The Springfield Preservation Trust celebrates Women’s History Month, commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.

Annual Meeting 2024
2024-03-03 13:00 - 14:30 | Kimball Towers, 140 Chestnut Street, Springfield, MA, 01103, United States
Join the Springfield Preservation Trust, On March 3rd at 1:00pm, for the SPT Annual Meeting at Kimball Towers, 140 Chestnut Street.
The meeting will be open to SPT members and the public and will feature an overview of the past year, election of the board of directors, release of the 2023 Annual Report, a look at the year to come, and the announcement of the 2024 Most Endangered Historic Resources List, followed by a brief talk by guest speaker Catherine Ratté.
Programming will include:

Election of the 2024 Board of Directors
Introduction of the 2024 Most Endangered Historic Resources List
Community Preservation Act update
The Year in Review
The Year Ahead
A brief guest talk on the City of Springfield’s Neighborhood Investment Plans, by Catherine Ratté, Director of the Land Use/Environment Department at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission

Programming is expected to last about 75 minutes.
Please email info@springfieldpreservation.org to reserve your spot(s) by February 25th.

The Legacy of Primus Mason… Revised (Black History in Springfield)
2024-02-22 19:00 - 20:30 | MA
Regine Jackson, board member of the Pan African Historical Museum USA (PAHMUSA), will delve into the history of black entrepreneur, real estate investor, and philanthropist Primus Mason. Mason settled in Springfield in the 1830s, and his purchase of land in the city became a catalyst for transforming its architecture, leading to the development of well-known neighborhoods like Mason Square.
This lecture is presented in partnership with the Pan African Historical Museum USA (PAHMUSA), a museum that links the African Diaspora to Springfield, MA and surrounding communities.
This virtual lecture will take place on the Springfield Preservation Trust Facebook Page at facebook.com/PreserveSpringfield.
The Springfield Preservation Trust celebrates Black History Month, commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of African Americans in American history.
About the Speaker
Regine Jackson is a writer who was born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts. Being an avid reader since she was a child, Jackson always wished to write, specifically stories where the main characters looked like her and the people around her. While Jackson mainly writes within the science-fiction, horror, and fantasy genres, she also writes prose and poetry revolving around her life living in an inner city. She hopes to not only hone her own craft but also to bring more creative work to her city and encourage more BIPOC women to write their truths. To learn more, visit Regine’s website at reginejackson.com.
About PAHMUSA
This lecture is presented in partnership with the Pan African Historical Museum USA (PAHMUSA), a museum that links the African Diaspora to Springfield, MA and surrounding communities. PAHMUSA was founded in 1995 by Lujuana Hood and is located at Tower Square (1500 Main Street) in Springfield. To learn more, visit its website at pahmusa.org.
About the Springfield Preservation Trust
Founded in 1972, the Springfield Preservation Trust strives to preserve, protect, and promote 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. To learn more, visit its website at springfieldpreservation.org.

For the Love of the City—A Valentine Soirée
2024-02-04 13:00 - 16:00 | Valentine Mansion, 270 Maple Street, Springfield, MA, 01105, United States
The Springfield Preservation Trust’s 2024 Winter Fundraiser—with the theme “For the Love of the City—A Valentine Soirée”—will be held at the Valentine Mansion, the bed and breakfast and events venue at 270 Maple Street, courtesy of homeowner and host Katherine Prewitt.
The event, taking place on February 4, 2024, at 1:00pm, will feature music, hors d’oeuvres, wine, beverages, a silent auction, and gorgeous city views from the home’s sweeping ballroom and expansion hosting spaces.
Support the Springfield Preservation Trust in its mission to preserve and protect properties in Springfield, Massachusetts which have architectural, historic, educational, or general cultural significance—including properties such as this one!—by attending our Annual Winter Fundraiser this year!

History of the Home and It Original Owners
Built in 1879, 270 Maple Street is a 30-room historic mansion is an impressive 11,102 square feet in size, with a 40-foot grand ballroom, ornate floor-to-ceiling hand-carved fireplace, 12 bedrooms, and what might be the best residential view of Springfield.
The home is historically known as the Frederick Harris House, as it was built for Frederick Harris and Emily Osborne, who were married in 1879 and shortly thereafter, moved into this fantastic home perched on the crest of the hill on Maple Street.
The house started out as the carriage house of Jotham G. Chase, who built a house next door on the site of what would become the Nathan Bill House. The exterior of the Chase house was built around 1873-74, and the carriage house may have been built around the same time—the masonry beholds an “1877” mark, which could be indicative of its age. However, Chase ran out of money during the Panic of 1873 and couldn’t finish the construction. In 1879, he sold the carriage house to Harris, who hired a contractor to convert it into a house in time to move in after his and Emily’s September 1879 wedding in Auburn, New York.
When the house was completed in 1879, it was considerably smaller than its current appearance. The first major expansion came in 1886, followed by the addition of a ballroom in 1900, reportedly built by Italian artisans over two years of construction.
Frederick Harris was a banker—who succeeded his father, Frederick H. Harris, as president of the Third National Bank of Springfield in 1911, when his father passed away. This would explain the hidden vault behind the dining room wainscotting! He was also active politically, and served as an alderman and as a member of the school committee.
Emily came from an even more prominent family. Originally from Auburn, New York, her father David was a prominent businessman and mayor, but her family was even better known for social activism. Her grandmother, Martha Coffin Wright, and her great aunt, Lucretia Coffin Mott, were both leaders of the abolitionist and women’s rights movements, and her brother, Thomas Mott Osborne, was the warden of Sing Sing and an influential prison reform advocate. Her sister was Helen Osborne Storrow, the philanthropist who founded Storrowton Village at the Big E. Helen’s husband was James Jackson Storrow II, a Boston businessman who briefly served as president of General Motors in the company’s early years.
Frederick and Emily had two children, Florence and Helen, but they were hardly the only residents of this house. Like other wealthy families of the era, they regularly employed multiple servants who lived here. In the 1900 census, they had three, and by 1910 they had four: a housekeeper, waitress, cook, and laundress. Florence moved out after her marriage in 1907 to Frederic Jones, and the couple later moved into a nearby house on Maple Street. Like his father-in-law, Frederic Jones would later go on to serve as president of Third National Bank.
Frederick died in 1926, and two years later he was memorialized in the naming of the Frederick Harris School, an elementary school on Hartford Terrace in the East Forest Park neighborhood. Emily lived out her life in the home until her death in 1940, some 60 years after she first moved in. Daughter Helen (Harris) Smith then moved into her mother’s home—she was the last family member to own the house. An alumna of Smith College, Helen was president of the Visiting Nurse Association, trustee of the Springfield Hospital, and vice president of the Wesson Maternity Hospital.

Helen lived in the home until her death in 1974. The home was willed the following year to the MacDuffie School for Girls, who sold the home that same year to MaryAnn and Robert Cornell. The Cornells lived in the home and operated it as an art gallery—from 1975 to 1984. In 1984, Thomas A. Valentine purchased the home—with much of the remaining art still hanging on the walls. Valentine retained ownership through various trusts until 2019 when he sold it to current owner, Katherine Prewitt. Prewitt lives in the home and operates it as a bed and breakfast, which she named after Mr. Valentine and happens to have purchased on Valentine’s Day. Fitting!
The mansion has the distinction of being the only house on Upper Maple Street to be in continuous ownership by one family for almost 100 years.
Since then, the house has remained well-preserved on both the exterior and interior. The side porch overlooking the city was damaged in the June 1, 2011 tornado, but was restored. The mansion remains as an important part of the Ames/Crescent Hill District on the National Register of Historic Places.

Join Us at the Winter Fundraiser!
The Trust looks forward to hosting its annual winter fundraiser at this home and is grateful for Katherine Prewitt for opening it up to us in support of our mission to protect, preserve, and promote historic properties of Springfield.
This event is sold out, but you may be added to the wait list by contacting info@springfieldpreservation.org.

SPT Day at the Springfield Museums
2024-01-20 10:00 - 17:00 | Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards Street, Springfield, MA, 01103, United States
Free admissions to the Springfield Museums is available to all Springfield Preservation Trust members on Saturday, January 20th. Visit the Museums on “SPT Day” to take advantage of free admissions to all five museums on campus!

“Built in Springfield: Colonial Houses from Springfield’s Original Borders” with Derek Strahan
2024-01-18 19:00 - 20:30 | MA
“Built in Springfield: Colonial Houses from Springfield’s Original Borders” with Derek Strahan. Join historian Derek Strahan as he explores the history of some of the surviving colonial-era buildings that were originally built in Springfield. During the 1700s, Springfield’s borders extended far beyond the present-day city, and included surrounding cities and towns such as Agawam, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Holyoke, Longmeadow, Ludlow, West Springfield, and Wilbraham. Today, there are no known surviving colonial-era buildings in Springfield, but there are several dozen in these surrounding communities that were built in what was, at the time, the town of Springfield. This online lecture will highlight the historical and architectural significance of these buildings, while also examining the border changes that led to the present-day boundaries of Springfield. This lecture will take place on Jan, 18, 2024 from 7:00 – 8:30pm. This will take place on Facebook Live (Virtual Lecture). Please also reserve your spot at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/built-in-springfield-colonial-houses-from-springfields-original-borders-tickets-778910170287?aff=efbevent&fbclid=IwAR0-tawL8K0xK7l3S0aFAih8KVUCt0b5p5TcPLyDqQV3vmKiUA3H7Gp-AtY

2023 Preservation Awards
2023-11-14 19:00 - 20:30 | Community Music School of Springfield., 127 State St, Springfield, MA
The Preservation Awards will be held, on November 14, 2023 in person at 7:00pm at the Community Music School of Springfield. If you have questions or want to attend, please email info@springfieldprreservation.org. Please reserve your spot here Preservation Awards 2023 Tickets, Tue, Nov 14, 2023 at 7:00 PM | Eventbrite
The Springfield Preservation Trust Preservation Awards honor the people and organizations that are helping to restore historic structures in Springfield. Every year the Trust showcases exemplary properties that represent the best preservation in Springfield over the previous year. Preservation Awards are commonly given to properties that have restored the historic look of a building by removing inappropriate siding, repairing or replicating original details, or generally bringing back a building that was in disrepair. Additionally, if you have questions, please email info@springfieldpreservation.org.

Springfield Cemetery Architecture & Symbolism Tour
2023-10-28 13:00 - 14:30 | Springfield Cemetery, 171 Maple Street, Springfield, MA, United States
Once known as Peabody Cemetery, the Springfield Cemetery is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the City of Springfield. Despite being located in the heart of the city, the cemetery itself was designed in the landscape tradition of the rural cemetery with sloping hills and meandering paths through the graves that date back to the first burial in 1841. Stones, tablets, and remains dating to 1664 were relocated from the Old First Church shortly after the opening of the cemetery.
Within the Springfield Cemetery’s unique landscape are some of the most architecturally interesting stones and burial crypts in New England, featuring traditional cemetery symbols mixed with modern motifs and designs. This tour of the cemetery highlights some of these, explaining the significance behind some of the most common (and not-so-common) symbols of death and mourning.
The tour will take place on Saturday, October 28th at 1:00pm. Please meet at the Cemetery main office, at 171 Maple St.

Voices from the Grave: Cemetery Tour
2023-10-15 13:00 - 14:00 | MA
On October 15, learn about important figures in Springfield history at the 10th 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 will speak about each person of intrigue.
Hour-long walking tours will depart every fifteen minutes starting at 1:00PM at Springfield Cemetery. Please enter through the Pine Street gate to Springfield Cemetery, which is opposite 45 Pine Street. Purchase a ticket for $15, and non-members will purchase a ticket for $18.

Maple-High and Six Corners Second Saturday Walking Tour
2023-10-08 10:30 - 12:00 | MA
Learn about the legacy, architecture, and neighborhood that surrounds one of Springfield’s most important historical business figures—Daniel B. Wesson, of Smith & Wesson fame.

On this walking tour, Preservation Trust Board Member Katherine Anderson Benson will provide a history of the Wesson Hospitals, the C.W. Porter School, and the beautiful homes that line the streets of the Six Corners neighborhood, where these structures reside. The walking tour departs from the rear of the High School of Commerce (Springfield Honors Academy entrance) and ends at the same.

The Six Corners neighborhood of Springfield once encompassed two of the city’s premier medical facilities—Wesson Memorial Hospital and the Wesson Maternity Hospital—founded by Daniel B. Wesson, also the co-founder of Springfield-based firearm manufacturer Smith & Wesson. Surrounded by beautiful homes, the neighborhood was also once home to Miss Charlotte Porter’s School, a preeminent private school for girls.

The Second Saturday Walking Tour series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums, and is sponsored by a grant from the Springfield Cultural Council and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Mattoon Street Arts Festival Day 2
2023-09-10 10:00 - 16:00 | 45 Mattoon Street Springfield, MA
Join the Springfield Preservation Trust at the 50th Annual Mattoon Streets Art Festival, which gathers more than 90 exhibitors, food vendors, strolling musicians, and community organizations and non-profits, like us! We’ll be debuting the 2024 City of Homes Calendar, which features the Forest Park Heights Historic District. Come by and learn about historic preservation, Springfield’s Most Endangered Historic Resources List, and how you can get involved to preserve and protect Springfield’s unique and important historic buildings. Plus, enjoy the historical beauty of Mattoon Street—the only street in Springfield to feature Victorian row houses on both sides of the street.
These homes date in the 1870s and 1880s and are in the heart of Springfield’s Quadrangle–Mattoon Street Historic District. Lined with herringbone brick sidewalks, London Plane trees, and cast iron street lights, Mattoon Street is a historic district unlike any other in the region, evoking scenes of Boston’s Beacon Hill and Back Bay neighborhoods. Come visit us and see the true excellence of architectural craftsmanship on Mattoon Street.

Forest Park Heights Historic District: Second Saturday Walking Tour
2023-09-09 10:30 - 12:00 | MA
Join local historian Derek Strahan on a walking tour of the Forest Park Heights Historic District neighborhood. The tour will focus on the homes on the southern side of Sumner Avenue, with an emphasis on the variety of architectural styles within the neighborhood. The tour will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 9 at the Florentine Gardens circle, and will last approximately 1.5 hours. The tour route is about 1.5 miles in length, on mostly level ground.

On-street parking is available on the neighborhood streets. Please be sure to not block driveways or fire hydrants.

The Second Saturday Walking Tour series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums and is sponsored by a grant from the Springfield Cultural Council and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Mattoon Street Arts Festival
2023-09-09 10:00 - 16:00 | 45 Mattoon Street Springfield, MA

Annual Historic House Garden Party Fundraiser
2023-08-20 13:00 - 16:00 | 48 Park Edge Avenue, 48 Park Edge Avenue, Springfield, CT, United States
Join us for the Springfield Preservation Trust’s Annual Garden Party Fundraiser, featuring music, hors d’oeuvres, wine, beverages, and a gorgeous garden setting, courtesy of homeowners and hosts Vana Nespor and Alfred Whitehouse at 48 Park Edge Avenue in Forest Park Heights Historic District. This event will take place on August 20 from 1 -4 pm. Please buy your tickets through Eventbrite.
From voluminous hydrangea to healing echinacea, the flowers, herbs, and green-thumb prowess displayed in these gardens will have you dreaming that summer never ends.
Support the Springfield Preservation Trust in its mission to preserve and protect properties in Springfield, Massachusetts which have architectural, historic, educational, or general cultural significance—including properties such as this one!—by attending our Annual Garden Party Fundraiser this year!

Springfield Food History Second Saturday Walking Tour
2023-08-12 10:30 - 12:00 | Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards Street, Springfield, MA, 01103, United States
Curious about food history in Springfield? Come learn about the city’s delicious past—and taste a bit of the beauty along the way!’
Join James Johnson, Executive Vice President of Springfield Preservation Trust, on the August Second Saturday Walking Tour. This walking tour will leave from Springfield Museums on August 12 at 10:30 am and be filled with historic buildings of restaurants and local attractions. Additionally, there will be extra surprises on this tour for each visitor—if you want to learn what those might be then you must attend the tour! This walking tour departs from the Springfield Museums.
The tour is free for Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums members, and is $5 for non-members, payable at the outset of the tour.
The Second Saturday Walking Tour series is co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust and Springfield Museums, and is sponsored by a grant from the Springfield Cultural Council and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
