Nomination for Gunn and Hubbard Blocks

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

FHR-8-300 (11-78) United States Department of the Interior Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form See instructions in How to Complete National Register Forms Type all entriescomplete applicable sections 1. Name For HCRS use only received NOV 3 date entered 1980 DEC 3 1980 historic Gunn and Hubbard Blocks and/or common Same 2. Location street & number 463-477 State Street _ not for publication city, town Springfield state Massachusetts 3. Classification Category Ownership .

district - public Xbuilding(s) - private structure _ both site object Public Acquisition .in process being considered code 075 vicinity of 2nd congressional district county Hampden code 013 Status _ occupied - unoccupied work in progress Accessible Xyes: restricted - yes: unrestricted no Present Use _ agriculture * commercial educational entertainment government industrial military _ museum - park X private residence religious -scientific i transportatior other: 4. Owner of Property name Multiple - See attached sheet street & number city, town vicinity of 5. Location of Legal Description state courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Registry of Deeds street & number 50 State Street city, town Springfield state Massachusetts 6. Representation in Existing Surveys Inventory of Historic Assets in title the Commonwealth has this property been determined elegible?

- yes _ no date 1979 federal X state county - local depository for survey records Massachusetts Historical Commission city, town 294 Washington Street, Boston state Massachusetts 7. Description Condition _ excellent good xfair deteriorated ruins unexposed Check one - unaltered X altered Check one X original site _moved date Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance

Description of the property

The Gunn and Hubbard Blocks are located directly opposite the Springfield Armory (NHL) at the southeast corner of State and Walnut Street. The Gunn Block (473-477 State Street) and Hubbard Block (463-471 State Street) are three story brick buildings with pitched roofs. The two blocks are similar in scale, design, and materials and adjoin by a fire wall. The Gunn Block is seven bays long and three bays deep. The original section of the Hubbard Block (467-471 State Street) is also seven bays but it is not quite as broad. The ground floors of both have been altered by later store fronts but the upper stories remain intact. The Hubbard Block also has an addition to the west of four bays (463-465 State Street). which continues the original scale, materials and design. The Gunn block is slightly trapezoidal in shape resulting from being fitted into the intersection of State and Walnut Streets.

Four chimneys originally arose from each corner of which three remain. The one at the northeast corner has been removed and capped. A central entryway provides access to the upper floors. The simple cornice on the front of the block is extended along the eastern end and forms a pediment with the roof lines. A semicircular window is placed within the pediment and is presently partially enclosed with wood. Several windows and a door on the eastern facade have been bricked in. Where they are not, they generally contain 1/1 sash, and design to the Gunn Biock. The cornice on the Hubbard block and its western extension are bricked in. The Hubbard Block has a central entryway, while the entryway of the half-block is set in its easternmost bay. Four chimneys are piaced at each corner in the Hubbard block, as in the Gunn block, while the extension has only two chimneys on the western end.

The western elevation is plain brick unbroken by windows. Fenestration is primarily 2/1 or 1/1 large panes, however, the third floor of the western section contains four 6/6 windows. Brownstone lintels and sills are used as wel1 as brownstone trim around the entryways. The Gunn and Hubbard Blocks are presently occupied by a tavern, small stores and residents. FHR-8-300A (11/78) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND RECREATION SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM FOR HCRS USE ONLY RECEIVED NOV 3 1980 DATE ENTERED 1990 CONTINUATION SHEET 1 ITEM NUMBER 4 PAGE 1 Property Owners 463-465 State Street Joseph Yelinick & Henry E. Crosby 463 State Street Springfield, MA 01109 467-471 State Street Edward F. G Irene E. Barbeau 128 Woodland Road Springfield, MA 01129 473-477 State Street Salvatore & John P.

Scibelli 339 Porter Road East Longmeadow, MA 01028 8.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Significance Period - prehistoric 1400-1499 1500-1599 1600-1699 1700-1799 X 1800-1899 X 1900 Areas of SignificanceCheck and justify below - archeology-prehistoric _ community planning archeology-historic conservation - agriculture economics architecture education art engineering commerce exploration/settlement communications industry invention landscape architecture law literature military music philosophy politics/government religion science sculpture social/ humanitarian theater transportation other (specify) Specific dates 1830-35 Builder

Statement of significance

/Architect Unknown Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) The Gunn and Hubbard Blocks possess integrity of location, design and materials and are significant as the center of commerce for the Hill area and as one of the only three masonry blocks remaining from the early nineteenth century in Springfield. Between 1820 and 1840 the Hill area of Springfield, roughly centered around the inter- section of State and Walnut Streets, was vying with the more traditional commercial center along Main Street. The growth on the Hill was largely due to the presence of the U.S. Armory. Walnut Street had been opened in 1810 to connect the Hills shops with the Water Shops. The Hill area was also involved in overland trade along Boston Road (later State Street) which passed through the area.

As many as six stage lines were reported to use this route in 1836, many of which stopped at the Rockingham House a hostelry at the southeast corner of State and Walnut Streets. The Gunn Block was built circa 1830 to house the flourishing trade in "West Indies Goods" coffee, rum, molasses, sugar, and spices of Elisha Gunn. The goods were shipped from Boston by boat on the Connecticut River to Springfield from whence Gunn shipped goods as far east as Charlton. The coming of the railroad in 1839 drastically cut into Gunn's business and permanently fixed the commercial center of Springfield downtown. Elisha Gunn continued to carry on a thriving trade as a wholesale distributor of pro- visions. The business was carried on by his sons who became involved in the retail trade and later a liquor market.

Asahel Hubbard had the block that bears his name (463-471 State Street) built circa 1835 as an investment. Hubbard was an inspector of arms at the Armory. His most prominent tenant was Jonathan Bangs who owned a flour and grain mill on the Mill River and used ths store as a retail outlet. Bangs also moved downtown in the 1870's where his store was one of the most successful in the City. The second floor of the Gunn Block contained a large hall, named Gunn's Hall, which was used for meetings and social events. The hall was used by the Hampden Lodge of Free Masons and by the Armory workers wishing to organize and promote their own welfare.

A series of meetings held in the hall in 1856 resulted in a vote by residents of the "Hill" Indian Orchard, and the Watershops to seperate from Springield and form a town to be called "Delano" - The main grievance was that the area paid more tax than it received in services. The incident was a clear indicator of the struggle for prominence between the Hill and the Main Street Area. While the main commercial area shifted downtown, the area around the Gunn and Hubbard Blocks remained the center of neighborhood activity in the last half of the nineteenth century. The blocks housed neighborhood merchants during this period. With the growing importance of Winchester Square (NR) one half mile east in the 1890's the focus of the neighborhood shifted away from the Gunn and Hubbard Blocks.

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

Major Bibliographical References King's Handbook of Springfield; Moses King, ed.; James D. Gill; Springfield, MA; 1884. Plan of Springfield; George Colton; Springfield, MA; 1835. Progressive Springfield; October, 1891; pp. 135-142; "Armory Hill" Springfield Daily Republican; October 17, 1859, p.4. 10.

Geographical Data ACREAGE NOT VERIFIED Acreage of nominated property One-fourth UTM NOT VERIFIED Quadrangle name Springfield South Quadrangle scale 1:24000 UMT References A18| 2100/28p Zone Easting 146|6434d Northing LLL E BLULLILL Zone Easting -LLILLL F JLLILLL LILLL Northing LLILLL LLILLL GLULLILNLILILIL Verbal boundary description and justificatior beginning at the southwest intersection of state and Walnut Street, thence southwesterly along the southeast line of State Street approximately ninety-five and 12/100 (95.12) feet to a point; thence perpedicular in a southeasterly direction approximately (cont.) List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or county boundaries state code county code state code county 11.

Form Prepared By Fred Clark, Springfield Historical Commission name/title for Candace Jenkins, Evaluation Director code organization Massachusetts Historical Commission date July 1980 street & number 294 Washington Street telephone (617) 727-8470 city or town Boston state Massachusetts 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evaluated sianificance of this property within the state is: -national state local As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89 665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the criteria and procedures set forth by the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service.

State Historic Preservation Officer signature cushlestunt 10/20/80 title Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Commission date For HCRS use only anCael )certify that this property is incluggd in the National Register 1Juel date 123-80 Keeper of the National Register Attest: Chief of Registration date GP O 938 835 FHR-8-300A (11/78) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND RECREATION SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTOR Y -- NOMINATION FORM FOR HCRS USE ONLY RECEIVED MDV 3 DATE ENTERED,DED g SB0 4980 CONTINUATION SHEET 2 ITEM NUMBER 10 1 PAGE Verbal Boundary Description (Continued) one-hundred twelve (112) feet to a point, thence generally northeasterly one hundred and seventeen and 46/100 (117.46) feet to the southeast line of Walnut Street, thence northwesterly one hundred and 36/100 (100.36) feet along the southeast line of Walnut Street to the point of beginning.

Also refer to the attached map. *9- L8096 ESIt L9037 0z2 E0 -89 222 +6SE 338:05 --24 49.32L.C 68'94 DTOGEE 3103 LE 50.27L. .8145 8 9$--1 ç2L9 13533 4833 2768162 203.57L.5 £166 9425 6161 -EE 60+9 ---- 82 80 11L9S OLS9 HILT S684 130.95LC 5109 14..44L.S. 54.726S 9 7E2G TL+6 26:16 1570200 6EZS *ESI LOEL 2452 36.04 385° 601 SS 59 42 T28+ 6L 2:100811 SSLL 1stg 12z + 022, Lttr Evln 1ST1 (ES+ L9+ M 19t 359+ 59+ 49+ 696 12+ EL+ LL+ - 9% GUNN+ HUBBARD BLOCKS SPRINGFIELD, MASS. ASSESSORS MAP SCALE 1"=50' DEC 3 40M 419 Property Gunn and Nuttard Blecks seate Ma, Hampola Working Number //. 3. 80. 27251 TECHNICAL / Photos.

Maps DUE 1/3/8) CONTROL HISTORIAN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN ARCHEOLOGIST OTHER HAER Inventory - Review REVIEW UNIT CHIEF 19the s centu of commerce cia mmee fognillarea kapr black ins spragte/2c masonny Shuce 12:3-80 KEEPER DEC9 -1980 National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 2.2.82 Send-back Re-submit Entered United States Department of the Interior - Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service Gunn & Hubbard Blocks Springfield, Mass.

& AON Fred Clark Springfield Historical Conmission 88 Photo #l of 1 State Street facades facing southwesty 3 1980 Name Holyoke Canal System Tack Factory, The Eddy Block Water Shops Armory (Gunn and Hubbard Blocks Spauling Block Shumway Block ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE MASSACZUSETTS DEC 3 1980 Date Entered Location Holyoke Hampden County Norwell vicinity Plymouth County Webster Worcester County Springfleld Hampden County Springfield Hampden County Webster Worcester County Webster Worcester County Also Motified Honorable Paul Isongas Honorable Edward M. Kennedy Honorable S1lvlo O. Conte Honorable Gerry E. Studds Honorable Bdward P. Boland State Historic Preservation Off1cer Mrs. Patricia L.

Weslowsk1 Ezecutive Director Massachusetts listorical Conmission 294 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 /NR Byers/bjr/1/6/81 For further information, please call the National Register at (202)343-6401.