Springfield District Court

The Springfield District Court at 1600 East Columbus Avenue in Springfield is a Neo-Classical Revival building constructed in 1930 to the designs of local architects E.C. and G.C. Gardner (Gardner & Gardner), at a cost of $400,000. Faced in limestone to be a compatible neighbor to the adjacent Municipal Group, its handsome nine-bay facade has a wide decorated frieze and three center bays set in antis behind two full-height columns, with decorative spandrels and brass trim; the interior was built of steel and cement with lavish marble finishes. It was built to house an expanding court that by 1929 handled over 18,000 cases annually and was designed to accommodate up to 100,000 cases per year, serving Springfield and surrounding towns; a basement passage and an overhead bridge nicknamed the Bridge of Sighs brought prisoners to court. It represents the city's early-20th-century growth and its regional civic role, and is a well-conceived example of the austere later phase of the classical revival, meeting National Register criteria A and C. It later served as a City Hall Annex.

Springfield District Court 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 42.1007, -72.5911 near Springfield. The nearest cataloged historic site is Symphony Hall (landmark), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Springfield Municipal Complex, Court Square Municipal Group Street Lights, and Court Square Park - Springfield Vietnam Memorial.

This record is drawn from public historical records. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.