Mills-Hale-Owen Blocks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Mills–Hale–Owen Blocks
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1985 photo
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 959-991 Main St., Springfield, Massachusetts |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1874 |
| Architect | Mills, Warren; Owen, Frank W. |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 85003424 |
| Added to NRHP | October 31, 1985 |
The Mills—Hale—Owen Blocks were three important historic buildings in Springfield, Massachusetts. They stood on Main Street in the city's South End. These buildings were great examples of a building style called Italianate architecture. Sadly, they were badly damaged by a powerful tornado in 2011. Because of this damage, they had to be torn down. The blocks were recognized as important historical sites and were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
Contents
What Were the Mills—Hale—Owen Blocks?
The Mills, Hale, and Owen blocks looked like one big building. They were located on Main Street between Union and Hubbard Streets. The Mills and Hale Blocks were on the left side. They were both three stories tall. They had similar decorative tops called cornices.
Building Features
Both the Mills and Hale Blocks had shops on the ground floor. These shops had doors that were set back from the street. They also had large glass windows. The windows on the upper floors were shaped like rounded arches. They had special decorative stones above them called keystoned lintels. The Hale Block had even fancier brick designs around its windows.
The Owen Block was on the right side of the group. It was taller, with four stories. Tall, thin columns called pilasters divided the upper floor windows into pairs. The storefronts on the ground floor had decorative metal strips above them.
History of the Blocks
The Mills and Hale blocks were built in 1874. They were some of the best examples of Italianate architecture in Springfield at that time. These buildings were also very important for the city's growth. They were among the first large buildings constructed as downtown Springfield expanded south. They also helped introduce the idea of "mixed-use" buildings to the area. This means buildings that have both businesses and homes inside.
How the Buildings Were Used
The Owen Block was built later, in 1899. It was built in a style called Classical Revival. This style showed how Springfield's downtown area continued to grow. All three buildings had different kinds of shops on their ground floors. The upper floors of the Mills block were first used as a boarding house. The upper floors of the other two blocks were used as apartments.
In the 1980s, the buildings were fixed up and improved. They were then added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. This recognized their special historical value.
The 2011 Tornado Damage
The Mills—Hale—Owen Blocks suffered a lot of damage during the 2011 Springfield tornado. The top floor of at least one building partly fell down. The damage was so bad that the buildings could not be saved. They were torn down just eight days after the tornado hit.
