McKnight District facts for kids
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McKnight District
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A Craftsman style house on Amherst Street
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Springfield, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 130 acres (53 ha) (original) 250 acres (100 ha) (after increase) |
| Built | 1870 |
| Architect | McKnight, William; Et al. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Late Victorian, Queen Anne |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000255 (original) 86002466 (increase) |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 26, 1976 |
| Boundary increase | September 26, 1986 |
The McKnight District is a neighborhood mainly made up of homes in Springfield, Massachusetts. It is located northeast of the city center. This area was carefully planned and built between the mid-1800s and early 1900s.
John and William McKnight were the main people behind this development. They not only designed many of the houses and gardens but also set rules for how buildings should be constructed. Most of the neighborhood was finished by 1910, and not many new buildings have been added since then.
Many houses in the McKnight District show popular architectural styles from the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Queen Anne style is especially common. The McKnights started developing this area, which used to be farmland, in 1870. They bought a 22-acre (9-hectare) piece of land and built their own homes there.
Over the years, they bought more land. They also planned out the roads and either built houses themselves or sold land to other builders. To keep the neighborhood looking nice and uniform, they used "deed restrictions." These were rules written into the property deeds. They required houses to be set back from the street by a certain distance and banned fences. They also set a minimum cost for building homes. This rule prevented the construction of very cheap, crowded apartment buildings called tenements.
Exploring the McKnight District
The McKnight District is bordered by railroad tracks to the north and Bay Street to the south. To the west, you'll find Armory and Magazine Streets. To the east, it's bordered by Monmouth, Clifford, Bay, and Marion Streets.
A Historic Neighborhood
A part of the McKnight District, covering about 130 acres (53 hectares) and including 350 homes, was named a historic district in 1976. This means it's a special area recognized for its important history and architecture. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of places in the United States that are considered important to the country's history.
In 1986, the historic district was made even larger. It grew to 250 acres (101 hectares) and included 884 properties. This expansion covered almost all the land that the McKnight brothers had developed.
Images for kids
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A Craftsman style house on Amherst Street
