Gunn and Hubbard Blocks

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. A historic map-sheet match is not published yet. The record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary.

From the record

“The Gunn and Hubbard Blocks are a pair of historic commercial-residential buildings at 463-477 State Street in the Old Hill section of Springfield, Massachusetts. Located across the street from the Springfield Armory, they were built in the 1830s, and are two of the oldest commercial buildings in Springfield.”
Wikipedia article Gunn and Hubbard Blocks, CC BY-SA 4.0.

one of 123 National Register listings in Hampden County · listed in 1980 · category: Building.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 2 buildingss as contributing to the listing.
Address. 463-477 State St., Springfield, 01105
When was it listed? 1980-12-03
Category. building
Township. Springfield city
National Register reference number. 80000474 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

The ground it stands on

126,411 words

The chapter on Springfield City in King's Handbook of Springfield, Massachusetts : a Series of Monographs, Historical and Descriptive, published 1884 names Springfield. This is what it says, exactly as the scans read.

TN making this " Handbook of Springfield," the aim has been to make a readable and trustworthy description of the city as it now is. The volume contains nearly four hundred octavo pages, with almost two hundred illustrations, nearly all of which were made expressly for this volume. At the end are full indexes comprising nineteen pages, with more than twentyseven hundred references, so that any part of the contents can be referred to instantly. The views are intended to show some of the historic, unique, and prominent features of the city. The portraits will bring to mind the faces of men who have been prominent in civil government, who have gained places in the local literary annals, or have been active in those enterprises which have brought wealth and fame to the city. No attempt has been made to furnish an elaborate history of Springfield ; yet for all practical purposes, the book contains as much history as the ordinary citizen cares to know or could well remember. It is believed that this book is the most pretentious one as yet issued of its kind, for any city of the size of Springfield, in this country. The original design was a much smaller volume ; but after the work was begun, so much interesting matter was found for the reader, and so many enthusiastic and patriotic citizens were met, that the book was materially enlarged, and many illustrations were added. It is hoped that it now will be acceptable, not only to the former and present residents, but also to those who may have occasion only to visit the city.

Passage source: King's Handbook of Springfield, Massachusetts : a Series of Monographs, Historical and Descriptive, published 1884.

It will be apparent that much valuable aid has been rendered by many well-informed citizens, most of whom are credited at the end of their respective chapters. Many persons not having furnished whole chapters ought to be mentioned here, in brief acknowledgment of their services : among them, the Rev. Dr. William Rice, the venerable city librarian; J. Newton Bagg of West Springfield ; Thomas At. Dewey, late secretary of the Business-

Passage source: King's Handbook of Springfield, Massachusetts : a Series of Monographs, Historical and Descriptive, published 1884.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Springfield City - 126,411 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.

Fires near this property

555 since 2015

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 555 fires within 5 miles of Gunn and Hubbard Blocks between 2015 and 2020, burning about 182 acres in total. 24 started naturally. 2 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	311
Equipment and vehicle use	130
Debris and open burning	35
Recreation and ceremony	28
Natural	24
Smoking	21
Misuse of fire by a minor	4
Arson/incendiarism	2

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
9 September 2015	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control	not named
8 September 2015	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control	not named
8 September 2015	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control	not named
7 September 2015	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control	not named
6 September 2015	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control	not named
5 September 2016	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control	not named
5 September 2015	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control	not named
4 September 2018	Equipment and vehicle use	under an acre	Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control	not named

Every fire recorded in Hampden County

Specimens collected near this property

12 of 1,528 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. Museums hold 1,528 specimens collected within 10 miles of Gunn and Hubbard Blocks between 1844 and 1975: 651 Animalia, 476 Plantae, 365 Fungi, 28 Chromista, 8 Unrecorded. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by A. B. Seymour, A. E. Kirk, A. K. Harrison, F. G. Floyd and others. Each is a physical object with a catalogue number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be concluded from a species being absent.

Species	Year	Collected by	Where, as recorded
Taphrina johansonii Sadeb.	1894	W.G. Farlow
Lygodium palmatum (Bernh.) Sw.	1895	Deane, Walter	East Longmeadow;;;;
Calligrapha rhoda Knab, 1909	1900	F. Knab	West Springfield
Carex siccata Dewey	1844	Collector unknown
Amphicarpaea bracteata (L.) Fernald	1845	Collector unspecified
Galeopsis tetrahit L.	1845	not recorded
Alopecurus geniculatus L.	1850	not recorded
Lactuca hirsuta Muhl. ex Nutt.	1850	Collector unspecified
Carex canescens L.	1852	Collector unknown	Westfield.
Carex pallescens L.	1852	Collector unknown	Westfield
Eurybia schreberi (Nees) Nees	1852	C. A. Shurtleff
Alnus incana (L.) Moench	1891	unknown	Woods Hall.

All 1,528 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Mines and quarries near this property

10 of 30 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 30 workings within 5 miles of Gunn and Hubbard Blocks: 15 past producers, 12 producers, 1 unknown, 1 occurrence. 13 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Dimension, Brick Clay, Flagstone, Clay. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status	Recorded
Construction Aggregates Pit	Granite, Stone, Crushed/Broken	Producer
Granby Quarry No 1	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Macia Emery Mine	Emery	Occurrence	Emery
W. New England Smelting Works Inc	Copper	Producer
Bay State Refining Co--Chicopee, Ma	Aluminum	Plant
Chicopee Plant	Aluminum	Past Producer
Chase Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
John Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Ondrick Industries	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer	Sedimentary
Smith Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer

Every working recorded in Hampden County

Storms near this property

60 of 134 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Springfield, the town this property stands in, in 134 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 69 thunderstorm wind, 41 hail, 11 flood, 6 lightning. The reports record 2 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
July 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	2 hurt, $10,000	A tree on Interstate 91 near the Massachusetts Turnpike was downed by thunderstorm winds onto a car, puncturing the windshield. A 61 year old man and a 57 year old woman were injured. Rescuers had to cut through the tree before they could get to the people in the car. The man was able to climb out by himself once the tree was out of the way, but the woman had to be extricated. This also blocked both southbound lanes of Interstate 91 bringing traffic to a complete stop.
August 2013	Hail	West Springfield	$3,000,000	Quarter to half dollar size hail fell on Main Street, accumulating up to two inches in spots. A car on Fairview Avenue was damaged with numerous hail dents. There were also several reports of nickel size hail in the area of Riverdale Road. About 500 cars at the Balise family of car dealerships were damaged. Damage ranged from minimal to extensive. Further damage was found two weeks later, when heavy rain fell through small holes in the roof of Chestnut Middle School, resulting in water damage.
August 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$275,000	no account filed
August 2011	Flood	West Springfield	$200,000	After receiving three to eight inches of heavy rain from Tropical Storm Irene, flooding resulted in the closure of Route 20 in West Springfield at Sibley Avenue.
July 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	East Springfield	$75,000	Trees and wires on Berkshire Avenue, Locust, Paramount, Stuart and Brewster Streets, Wellfleet Drive, Memorial Drive, and several other streets in the Indian Orchard neighborhood were downed by thunderstorm winds. Trees fell on houses on Paramount and Brewster Streets. A person was trapped in the house on Paramount Street, but was uninjured.
May 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$75,000	Multiple utility poles and trees were downed across West Springfield and Agawam, including several utility poles along Route 5 in West Springfield.
July 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	East Springfield	$50,000	Trees were downed onto several houses on Grochmal Avenue in the Indian Orchard section of Springfield. These trees fell in such a way that people were trapped inside the houses. No one was injured. Several trees in the area were also uprooted.
June 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	East Springfield	$50,000	Large trees were downed onto two houses and a car. The houses were on Quincy Street.
July 2010	Lightning	East Springfield	$50,000	A lightning strike ignited an attic fire at a house on Locust Street.
May 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$50,000	The Automated Surface Observing System at Barnes Municipal Airport (KBAF) recorded a wind gust of 58 mph. In addition, many trees and wires were downed by thunderstorm winds, including a four foot diameter oak tree on Morgan Road in West Springfield. On City View Avenue in West Springfield, a tree and utility pole were downed, blocking the road. Two power poles were downed near the intersection of East Elm Street and Riverdale Road.
May 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Springfield	$35,000	Multiple trees on Cottage and Garden Streets and Roosevelt and Berkshire Avenues were downed by thunderstorm winds.
July 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Springfield	$35,000	no account filed
August 2018	Flood	Springfield	$30,000	At 1:11 PM EST, water was reported entering basements on the 1300 block of Main Street in Springfield.
May 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$30,000	Trees and wires were downed along Route 20 in West Springfield and in Springfield. A large tree was downed onto a house on Forest Park Avenue in Springfield.
May 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	East Springfield	$25,000	Numerous large trees were downed by thunderstorm winds.
August 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$25,000	no account filed
February 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$20,000	Trees on Adrian Avenue, Craiwell Avenue, Upper Beverly Street, and Sibley Avenue in West Springfield were downed by thunderstorm winds.
June 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$20,000	A tree on Cold Spring Avenue was downed onto a car by thunderstorm winds.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$20,000	Several trees were downed across West Springfield, including one down on a car on Route 5 near Memorial Bridge and one down on Circuit Avenue. Several large limbs were also downed on Fairview Avenue.
July 2010	Lightning	East Springfield	$20,000	A lightning strike ignited a house fire on Perkins Street.
September 2008	Flood	West Springfield	$20,000	Heavy rain associated with Tropical Storm Hanna ranged from three and a half to five and a half inches. This resulted in widespread street flooding across central Hampden County. The Union Street underpass in West Springfield was flooded. In Wilbraham, multiple roads were flooded, including Main Street and several locations on Route 20 and Route 32. Minor mudslides occurred on Route 32. Both Holyoke and Springfield experienced widespread street flooding. Route 32 and several other roads were rendered impassable by floodwaters in Monson. Several vehicles on these roads became disabled. In addition, three residences were flooded along a retention road.
July 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$15,000	Trees were downed on several streets, including Park and Main. A tree was downed onto two cars on Amostown Road.
July 2008	Lightning	East Springfield	$15,000	A house on Wistaria Street was struck by lightning and caught fire.
August 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$15,000	no account filed
May 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	East Springfield	$12,000	In Springfield, there was a large tree blocking Delmore St. There was a large tree on two houses on Jeffery St. There was a tree down on a house near Allen St. There was a tree down on a house near Providence St. There was a tree down near Peekskill Ave.
May 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$12,000	no account filed
July 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	East Springfield	$10,000	In Springfield, a large tree was down on cars on Brookdale Drive. Photo shared on Twitter.
July 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$10,000	Trees on Highland Avenue were downed by thunderstorm winds.
July 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$10,000	A tree on High Street was downed by thunderstorm winds, blocking the road. Trees and wires along Prospect Avenue were downed as well.
July 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	East Springfield	$10,000	A large tree was downed onto a house on Ambrose Street. Wires were downed on Prospect Avenue and Hunter's Place.
August 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$10,000	A tree was downed onto a car on Elm Street in West Springfield. In addition, a window was broken on Main Street, presumable from the windblown large hail.
May 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$10,000	Trees on Cooper Street were downed by thunderstorm winds.
July 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	East Springfield	$10,000	Trees and wires in the Porter Lake area, including Berkshire Avenue and River Street, were downed by thunderstorm winds. One of these trees was downed onto a car.
June 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Springfield	$10,000	no account filed
May 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$10,000	no account filed
July 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$10,000	no account filed
August 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$8,000	In West Springfield, there were numerous trees downed by an isolated severe thunderstorm. On Elm Street there was a six-inch branch down. Trees were down on Woodmont Street and on Amostown Road at Fausey Drive. A large tree and wires were down on Piper Road. A large tree was down on a house on Churchill Street. Wires were down on on Vincent Drive, Morgan Road, and Smyrna Street.
October 2008	Flood	Springfield	$8,000	Heavy rain fell across Hampden County. Up to two feet of water collected in several locations in Springfield and West Springfield, including Cambridge Street and Route 5. Several cars flooded out.
July 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$6,000	In West Springfield, a utility pole was down on Route 20 at Dewey Street. A tree was down on wires on Birnie Avenue.
August 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Springfield	$5,000	In Springfield, a tree fell down on a car on Dwight St. The person inside was freed and was ok.
July 2018	Flash Flood	West Springfield	$5,000	At 2 PM EST, a thunderstorm moving over Westfield and West Springfield created downpours over the area. A car was trapped in flood waters on Old Westfield Road in West Springfield.
July 2018	Flash Flood	West Springfield	$5,000	At 2:10 PM EST, heavy rain from a thunderstorm flooded and closed U.S.Route 20 in Westfield at the intersection with East Mountain Road. A car was trapped in the flood waters.
August 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$5,000	A tree at the corner of Main Street and Burford Avenue was downed by thunderstorm winds.
July 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	East Springfield	$5,000	A large tree was downed onto a home on Ambrose Street.
August 2012	Flood	West Springfield	$5,000	One car was stuck at a restaurant on Route 5. Water was up to the floor boards of another car on Prospect Street. The Automated Surface Observing System at Barnes Municipal Airport (KBAF) recorded 1.14 inches of rain in 20 minutes and a total of just under 1.50 inches.
August 2012	Flood	West Springfield	$5,000	In West Springfield, West School Street was flooded and impassable. The River Street underpass also was flooded with a car stuck in the floodwaters. Meadow Street in Agawam was flooded and impassable.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	East Springfield	$5,000	A tree and wires on Chestnut Street were downed by thunderstorm winds.
August 2009	Thunderstorm Wind	East Springfield	$5,000	A tree and large limbs on Paxton Road and Riverdale Street were downed by thunderstorm winds.
August 2008	Lightning	East Springfield	$5,000	Lightning struck a garage on Menthuen Street resulting in a fire.
August 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$5,000	no account filed
June 2005	Lightning	Springfield	$5,000	no account filed
August 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$5,000	no account filed
August 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	West Springfield	$5,000	no account filed
August 2005	Hail	Springfield	$5,000	no account filed
October 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	East Springfield	$4,000	In Springfield, a tree was down on Liberty Street. A tree and wires were down on Birchland Avenue. A tree split and landed on a house on Jeffrey Road.
July 2006	Flood	Springfield	$4,000	no account filed
August 2020	Lightning	East Springfield	$2,000	In Springfield, lightning struck a house causing a fire on White St.
July 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	East Springfield	$2,000	A tree was downed on wires on Route 5 and Route 91.
May 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Springfield	$2,000	no account filed
July 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Springfield	$2,000	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Hampden County

Newspapers printed here

0 digitised pages

2 papers published in this town, digitised by the Library of Congress and free to read: 0 issues, 0 pages. Every page is searchable, so a name or a street can be looked for directly in what the town printed about itself at the time.

Newspaper	Published
Springfield Weekly Republican	1851 to 1946
Springfield Republican	1838 to 1851

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

From the nomination file

1,999 words on record

When this property was proposed for the National Register, someone wrote the case for it: what the building is, and why it matters. That document is a federal record in the public domain. It is quoted below word for word, never summarised. The text was read off the scanned case file by machine, so the occasional stray character is the recogniser's and the 1970s typewriter's.

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.

Read the complete 1,999-word case file.

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.

Read the complete 1,999-word case file.

The whole case file for this property - 1,999 words, 10 pages, reproduced complete.

Quoted from the National Register nomination for reference 80000474, 10 pages, held by the National Archives in Record Group 79. See the catalogue record.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
Wigglesworth Building, The	0.2 miles	2020
St. James Apartments, The	0.2 miles	2020
Masonic Temple	0.2 miles	1983
Ivernia Apartment Building	0.4 miles	2015
Hancock Apartment Building	0.5 miles	2015
St John's Congregational Church & Parsonage--Parish for Working Girls	0.5 miles	2016

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 80000474 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Hampden County	All 123 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Specimens. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), https://www.gbif.org/. Only records licensed CC0 or CC BY are used. Records licensed CC BY-NC are excluded because this site carries advertising. Images are checked individually and any whose licence is non-commercial, no-derivatives or unreadable is refused.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.