Smith's Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Smith's Building
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Smith's Building
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Springfield, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1897 |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| MPS | Downtown Springfield MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 83000764 |
| Added to NRHP | February 24, 1983 |
The Smith's Building is an old and important building in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts. It stands five stories tall at 201-207 Worthington Street. This building was constructed way back in 1897.
Its first main tenant was the McIntosh Corporation. They were a big company that made shoes in the area. McIntosh stayed in the building until 1913. After they moved out, a man named Fred Smith brought his fun recreation business into the building.
A Building with History
The Smith's Building has seen many changes over the years. When it first opened in 1897, it was a busy place for making shoes. The McIntosh Corporation used the building for many years.
In 1913, the shoe company moved to a new, bigger building. That's when Fred Smith decided to make the Smith's Building a place for games and fun.
Fred Smith's Fun Spot
Fred Smith started his business with billiards and bowling in 1903. He had a great idea to bring more fun to Springfield. He even bought special billiard tables from a huge event called the 1904 St. Louis Exposition.
He put these cool billiard tables on the second floor of the Smith's Building. But that wasn't all! On the upper floors, he created a bowling alley. The third and fourth floors each had seven lanes for candlepin bowling. The fifth floor had eight lanes.
Over time, bowling became less popular in that spot. So, the bowling lanes were moved to a different alley in Connecticut. However, the billiard hall is still open today! It's a great place to play pool.
How the Building Looks
The Smith's Building is made of brick and has five floors. The ground floor has big glass windows, perfect for shops. The second floor looks like a special middle level. It has five windows with brick sections in between them.
The top three floors are divided into five parts. Each part has two windows. These sections are separated by brick pillars and have a fancy arch design at the top. The very top of the building has a decorative brick edge and a low wall.
A Special Landmark
The Smith's Building is important because of its history and how it looks. Because of this, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. This means it's recognized as a special building that should be protected.
