MassachusettsThe Colonial Block at 1139-1155 Main Street in Springfield is a five-story brick commercial/residential building in the Georgian Revival style, built in 1902-1905 by Pascal L. Morse, a local carpenter and real estate owner. The prominent building has a rounded bay at its northwest corner and projecting bays creating a rhythmic undulating effect carried through to the projecting Classical cornice detailing; the northern section was completed in 1902 and the matching southern section in 1905. It meets Criteria A and C, reflecting the southward expansion of downtown and notable for its unusual mixed use, with ground-floor stores, second-floor offices, three upper floors of residences, and a large meeting hall (Colonial Hall). Built to house Morse's own real estate office but largely speculative, the block was significant in maintaining the southern downtown blocks as a viable commercial center in the early 20th century.
Colonial Block
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Colonial Block is a landmark in Springfield, Hampden County. It is one of 3,654 landmarks documented in Hampden County, among 3,815 historic sites cataloged across the county on MassRoam.
The site sits at 42.1006, -72.5861 near Springfield. The nearest cataloged historic site is Guenther and Handel's Block (Davis) (landmark), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include McKinney Building, Bangs Block, and Burbach Block.
This record is drawn from public historical records. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
The Colonial Block was built as a speculative venture in 1902-05 by Pascal Morse, a local Springfield builder and real estate developer. Five stories tall with a yellow-brick and brown-sandstone facade, it was a relatively rare example for the period of a mixed-use building that included residences: retail on the ground floor, offices and commercial space on the second, and apartments on the upper three floors. Distinguished by Georgian Revival detailing, it anchored the southern end of downtown where the commercial district gave way to more residential streets.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
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