Nomination for Water Shops Armory

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 entries - complete applicable sections 1. Name For HCRS use only received NOV 3 date entered UEU 3 1980 historic Water Shops Armory Same and/or common 2. Location street & number 1 Allen Street - not for publication city, town Springfield vicinity of congressional district 2nd Massachusetts state Massachusetts 3.

Classification Category Ownership - district - public XXX building(s) X private structure both _ site Public Acquisition object _ in process being considered code 025 county Hampden code 013 Status X occupied - unoccupied _ work in progress Accessible - yes: restricted - yes: unrestricted no Present Use - agriculture - commercial _ educational - entertainment - government X industrial - military museum park private residence religious scientific transportation other: 4. Owner of Property name Henry R. DeLeo & Carlo S. Rovelli street & number 141 Meadow Brook Avenue city, town West Springfield - vicinity of 5. Location of Legal Description state courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. 50 State Street Hampden County Registry of Deeds street & number city, town Springfield 6. Representation in Existing Surveys state Massachusetts title Inventory of the Historic Assets.

of has this property been determined elegible? The Commonwealth date 1979 federalX state - yes xx no county - _ local depository for survey records Massachusetts Historical Commission city, town 294 Washington Street, Boston state Massachusetts 02108 7. Description Condition X excellent - good fair deteriorated ruins unexposed Check one X unaltered _ altered Check one X original site _moved date Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance

Description of the property

The Water Shops Armory Complex is a manufacturing complex of four brick buildings built by the United States Armory on the western end of Water Shops Pond at its outlet to the Mill River. The complex is located approximately one mile south of the main armory or Hill Shops. (NHL) The Water Shops Armory buildings date from 1857 to 1941, with new buildings or addi- tions constructed as the demand arose. All new construction successfully attempted to retain the scale and detailing of the 1857 Main Shop. All were designed by U.S. Army personnel. The buildings are clustered on a land area of approximately five acres, bounded northerly by Hickory Street, easterly by Water Shops Pond and southerly and westerly by Allen Street. Ihree main construction periods are present; 185/-1861 when the main shop, forge shop, and storehouse, nos.

201a-e and 202, were built; 1902-1906 during which the main shop was extended over the canal, no. 201f, 1940- 1941 when several additions to the main shop and two new manufacturing buildings, nos. 204 and 205, were erected. The main building, no. 20la, (photo #1) was built in 1857 to consolidate three previous shops along the Mill River at the site of the Upper Shop. This building 15 seventeen bays long and five bays deep, fronting west on Allen Street. The tal] two story building has a pitched roof with stepped gable ends. Supporting piers between every other bay extend above the roof line. A central entryway highlighted the original building and has since been duplicated by new construction to the south. It is set in a rectangular two story, flat roofed porch, five bays long and two bays deep.

A third story square clock tower is tied visually to the entry- way by brick piers, coupled at the corners. These piers again extend beyond the roof and are incorporated into an iron balustrade. Originally an octagonal fourth story completed the entry tower but was removed in the twentieth century. Windows of the first floor are tall, rectangular, double-hung sash, 12/12, with tan lights. Each is capped with a decorative metal arched hood mould with a keystone. Those of the second story are 16/16 lights with metal arched window-heads, also with a keystone. Brownstone is used for the sills and as trim at the foundation. Two courses of brick along the cornice line are slightly stepped to create an entablature, while a third course is laid with an outward facing corner to give the effect of a cornice.

This building is located east of the forge shop at the eastern edge of the complex and is parallel to the main shop. It is of one and a half story brick construction with a pitched roof and stepped gables. This building also retains the scale and detailing of the main shop. The five entrances in the facade are highlighted with rusticated door surrounds. The effect of quoining is achieved from the brick work which is capped by a large stone hood, arched over the door. The upper side of the hood is stepped and incorporates a keystone. A small addition to the north of this bullding 1s most probably from the Civil War period. It is distinguished by four very large oculi in the main facade. Two garage-sized doors are placed in the facade with surrounds similar to those of the main storehouse, no. 202.

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 MOV 9 1980 DATE ENTERED NEC 3 1980 CONTI NUATION SHEET 1 ITEM NUMBER 7 PAGE 1 Description A small brick storehouse, no. 213, (photo #8) was built in 1880 on a slight rise of land near the southern boundary of the grounds. This windowless building has tour recesses along 1ts long sides. A two piece arched metal door is placed in the western end. The entablature is patterned brick and it is incorporated into wuro is pattomece eeh ana 5t a bottom broken pediment on the entrance end. A bridge has existed across the pond at the eastern end of the facility since before 1899. The present bridge of steel "I" beams and steel grate road surface with an iron railing probably dates from 1890-1941.

The bridge sits on two concrete piers. The final building occured in the complex during 1940-1941 with the erection of an extention to the storehouse, no. 204, (photo #10) and an additional manufacturing building along the south side of the pond, no. 205 (photo #9). The areas between the main shop, machine shop, and tempering shop (no. 201 a, d, e respectively) were enclosed also during this period. building (no. 201c and b) were expanded to a full two stories during World War II. The construction from this period utilizes wide bay, fixed frame windows with small panes, set in a metal frame. Brick piers are used between every bay, a proportion corresponding to the alternating piers of the older buildings which have narrower bays. Several brick courses are stepped along the entablature and blend in with the piers. An addition (no.

201f) (photo #1) to the main shop was begun in 1902 and replicated the original building. It extended to the south across the Mill River canal some twenty-nine bays. While this extention was somewhat longer than the first building, the entryway and tower were placed in the same relative position as the first structure. A new entry block(no.201g) was built at the mid-point of the long facade between the towers. This ten bay long rectangular flat roofed building was again identical to the original in scale, design and detail. The main facade along Allen Street presents a long symmetrical front. The vertical elements provided by the rythmic piers and the twin towers provide a balance for the long tacade.

Architectural historian, Henry-KussellHitchcock, cited this building as an example of the trend toward the picturesque yet with " a discipline usually lacking in the more pretensious architecture of the day"1. As part of the consolidation of all shops in one location a new dam was built to increase water fall to thirty-five feet. A retaining wall of rock-faced cut granite was also constructed along the edge of the pond (photo #4). William Birnie, a local man with extensive experience building dams and bridges, was contracted for the project. The retaining wall is continued westerly from the dam spillway and forms a canal which passes beneath building no. 201F and Allen Street.

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 DEC 1080 CONTINUATION SHEET 2 ITEM NUMBER 7 PAGE 2 Description An archway, also of granite block provides support for the building. Most of the retaining wall has been reinforced with concrete above the water line. By 1858 the main shop was extended to the east along the side of the pond. A one and a half story brick building was built perpendicular to the main shop (no. 201b) (Photo #6) and connecting it with the forge building (no. 201c) (photo #69), erected at the same time. A machine shop (201d) and tempering shop (201e) (photo #10) were also built about this time to the east of the main shop and parallel to it.

Ihese bulldings retain the scale, design, and detall of the main shop. Several additions dating from the early days of World War II have altered these buildings. The final construction during this period occured in the early days of the Civil Way, 1860-1861, when the main storehouse, no. 202, was built. (photos #2, #3). IrSpringfield Architecture 1800-1900"; Henry Russel1 Hitchock; 1934; typescript, Springfield Library Art Room, catalog for an exhibition of photographs 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 Significance-Check and justify below _ archeology-prehistoric community planning _ archeology-historic conservation - agriculture economics X _ architecture education art engineering commerce exploration/settlement communications X industry invention _ landscape architecture - religion law literature X military music -philosophy - politics/government science sculpture social/ humanitarian theater transportation other (specify) Specific dates Building #201-1857,1997 #213-1880; #204,205-194|der/Architect Statement of Significance

Statement of significance

(in one paragraph) The Watershops Armory Compiex possess integrity of location, design, setting, and materials and is significant as the principal heavy manufacturing site of small arms for the U.S. Military services and as a research and design facility which led to the development of several important new armaments. The complex is also significant as a distincitve example of industrial architecture as well as a unified grouping of buildings that appear much as they did during their major period of significance. The Watershops Armory Complex was the heavy manufacturing facility for the U.S. National Armory Hill Shops, located one mile north. Raw materials were converted into various gun components and transported to the Hill Shops via Walnut Street for assembly and testing.

The Hill Shops were built on the site of a Revolutionary War arsenal, establihsed by General Henry Knox in 1777, on a bluff of land overlooking the Connecti- cut River. The Armory Square Hill Shops are a National Historic Landmark and the westerly portion is now a National Historic Site. The Water Shops are located just east on the Mill River on the site of A Revolutionary War powder mill operated by two local men under contract with the government. This site was eventually purchased by the federal government following the official establish- ment of the U.S. Armory at Springfield in 1794. By 1817 the Springfield Armory had acquired land and established workshops at the three water falls on the Mill River, at which time they were designated the Lower, Middle, and Upper watershops.

The land for the Upper Watershops, the site of the present Watershops complex, was purchased in 1809, and a dam was built across the Mill River shortly afterwards so as to utilize it as a power source. Major changes occured at the Springfield Armory during the 1850's. Commandant James Wolf whereby the three workshops were consolidated into one. Mherely taeteraee workshops were consoledated into oeseyea, corloveroand Middle Watershops were sold, the Upper Water shops were demolished, and the present main bulding was under construction. This building forms the cornerstone for the present Watershops Complex. The concentration of all the heavy manufacturing at the Watershops necessitated an increased head of water.

A new dam along with extensive excavations and a canal lined with "freestone' were constructed, the total cost reported to be one million dollars.I The new dam increased the waterfall to thirty-five feet. 'immense turbine water- whee1s, having a united power equal to three hundred horse, were installed to provide power to the works. The Armory incorporated many techinical imovations throughout the early nineteenth century that led to the estabishment of an assembly-line system for the mass production 9.

The rest of the file

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

Major Bibliographical References Atlantic Monthly: "the Springfield Armory"; October 1863; pp. 436-451 Frisch; Michael H; Town into City, Harvard University Press; 1972; Cambridge MA Green, Mason; Springfield 1636-1886: History of Town and City; C.A. Nichols & Co; 1888; Boston. (See Continuation Sheet #4) 10. Geographical Data UTM NOT VERIFIED Acreage of nominated property 4.6 acres ACREAGE NOT VERIFIEU Quadrangle name Springfield South -_Quadrangle-scate_ 1:24000 UMT References AL1a la 15i21d 1416|613/01310 Easting Northing CL1 Zone Easting DLL F LIILLL Northing LILLL Verbal boundary description and justification The northern boundary is the southern line of Hickory Street.

The eastern boundary runs perpendicular to Hickory Street., approximately 245 feet along a retaining wall to the pond, thence running roughly west about 107 feet to eastern edge of a bridge, List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or county boundaries (See Continuation Sheet #5) state code county code state code county 11. Form Prepared By Fred Clark, Springfield Historical Commission name/title for Candace Jenkins, Evaluation: Director organization Massachusetts Historical Commission code 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 significance 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 Patura 2Westowska 10/20/80 title Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Conmission For HCRS use only date , certify that this property is included in the National Register tul Keeper of the National Register Attest: Chief of Registration date 12-3-80 date GPO 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 RECETVED MOV 3 1980 DATE ENTERED DEC 3 1980 CONTINUATION SHEET 3 ITEM NUMBER 8 PAGE 1 Significance of precision parts. By 1820 the Armory became one of the first to install Thomas Blanchard's lathe which quickly turned out irregular patterns in wood. The lathe was used to produce gunstocks, an operation which had previously been done by! hand.

Another important device was an English invention for forming barrels; by rolling them after they were heated white hot by a coal furnace. The first of these machines, along with a skilled artisan to operate it, was installed in the Watershops in 1858. The system proved much more efficient and economical than the previous method of welding and had the added advantage of reducing barrel failures. The barrel rolling machine and other reorganizations such as the recently constru- ted Watershops buildings allowed the Springfield Armory to radically step up pro- duction during the Civil War. The only other federal armory, Harper's Ferry, was captured early in the conflict and the burden of supplying the Union forces was born by the Springfield Armory.

At the outset of the war the Armory was pro- ducing approximately one thousand rifled muskets a month which was increased to twenty-six thousand at the height of the war. An additional equal amount was pro- duced by private contractors, with at least half the production coming from the immediate Springfield area. Ihe Watershops added six barrel rolling machines and found it necessary "to put in a steam engine of two hundred horse-power!'" A contemporary account of the extent of the works at the Watershops cites the "five miles of leather belting in use."4 'Atlantic Monthly; October, 1863; p. 438 2ibid. 3Ibid. Ibid, p. 419.

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 RECETVED DATE ENTERED NOV 9 CONTINUATION SHEET 4 ITEM NUMBER 9 PAGE 1 Bibliography Hitchcock, Henry Russell "Springfield Architecture 1800-1900, Catalog for an Exhibition of Photographs; typescript; 1934; Springfield Library Art Room Longharn, Peter, Western Massachusetts and the Arms Supply in the Civil War; Washington; 1958. Springfield Daily Republican, "Development of Small Arms, over a Century at the Armory; December 1, 1901; p. 8. Whittlesey, Derwent; "A History of the Springfield Armory"; PhD Thesis; University of Chicago; 1920; typescript, Springfield Library Local History Room. Whittlesey, Derwent.

"Abstracts from Original Sources made for the purpose of writing a History of the Springfield Armory"; typescript; Volumes 1-8; 1920; Springfield Library Local History Room. Wright, Henry; The Story of Western Massachusetts; Lewis Historical Publishing Co.; 1949; New York. 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 DATE ENTERED. NOV S DCG 1980 1980 5 CONTINUATION SHEET Verbal Boundary Description ITEM NUMBER 10 PAGE 1 then follows the center of a road which curves to the south west and continues along the middle of the road roughly west about 170 feet from the eastern edge of building no. 205 to a point. The boundary then runs perpendicular to the road, about 119 feet to the northern side of Allen Street.

The remainder of the southern and western boundary is formed by the curve of the north east side of Allen Street, to the point of beginning at the southeast intersection of Allen and Hickory Street. Also refer to the attached map. The nomination is confined to the Armory grounds.

FHR-8-300 (11-78) United States Department of the Interior Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Continuation sheet Item number 10 For HCRS use only receivec OV 3 1980 date entered DEC 3 Page 2 MAP KEY Map Number 201a 201b 201c 201d 201e 201f 201g 202 204 205 213 Building Name Main Shop Connector Forge Building Machine Shop Tempering Shop Machine Shop addition Machine Shop entry Main Storehouse Storehouse addition Manufacturing Storehouse Canal Dam Bridge Construction Date 1857 1858 1858 1858 1858 1902 1902 1860-61 1940 1940 1880 1857 1857-1902 1940 1980 Property Suater shopd Irmou state MA, Hampden" working Number //,3.80,2224 TECHNICAL Photos 10 Maps DUE 1/3/8) CONTROL HISTORIAN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN ARCHEOLOGIST OTHER HAER Inventory - Review REVIEW UNIT CHIEF cangnificant as the Principal BRANCH CHLEr site.os smau avm a reseaht National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 2 2.82 Send-back Re-submit Entered DEC 3 1980 United States Department of the Interior - Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service Water Shops Armory Springfield, Mass Fred Clark June 1979 Hampdes Coi 1 of 10 Main Elevation (west) Allen St., view east NOV 3 DEC 3 1980 1980 DEC 1980 NOV 3 1980 Water Shops Armory Springfield, Mass Fred Clark June 1979 2 Of 10 HampdenCo.

Building #202 from bridge view north Water Shops Armory Springfield, Mass Fred Clark June 1979 Hampder Co.

3 of 10 building #202 view southeast NOV 3 DEC 3 1980 Water Shops Armory Springfield, Mass Fred Clark June 1979 4 of 10 Hampoden Coi cRetaining wall and raceway below big #201f view southeast 1980 DEC NOV 3 1980 Water Shops Armory Springfield, Mass Fred Clark June 1979 5 of 10 Pond and interior of complex view west Veoty BCDC 20 Water Shops Armory Springfield, Mass 1980 1980 Fred Clark June 1979 6 of 10 NOV 3 DEC Building #213 view east southeast Water Shops Armory Springfield, Mass 1980 Fred Clark June 1979 6 of 10 Lapapon= Water Shops Pond and bridge view east 1980 DEC Water Shops Armory Springfield, Mass Fred Clark 7 or 10 Hampder Dam and building #205 view east southeast 1980 NOV 1980 DEC Water Shops Armory Springfield, Mass Fred Clark June 1979 Hempden 9 of 10 Building #205 view northeast NOV 1980 1980 Water Shops Armory Springfield, Mass Fred Clark June 1979 Lampder 10 of 10 Hickory St.

Elevation view southeast 086 ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE MASSACHUSETTS DEC 3 1980 Date Entered Name Location Holyoke Canal System Tack Factory, The Eddy Block Water Shope Armory Gunn and Hubbard Blocks Spauling Block Shumway Block Holyoke Hampden County Norwell vicinity Plymouth County Webster Worcester County Springfield Hampden County Springfield Hampden County Webster Worcester County Webster Worcester County Also Notified Honorable Paul Tsongas Honorable Edward M. Kennedy Honorable S1lvio 0. Conte Honorable Gerry E. Studds Honorable Edward P. Boland State Historic Preservation Officer Mrs. Patricia L. Weslowski Executive Director Massachusetts Historical Coumission 294 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 NR Byers/bjr/1/6/81 For further information, please call the National Register at (202) 343-6401.