Winchester Square Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Winchester Square Historic District
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The shuttered Winchester Square Fire Station
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | State St. and Wilbraham Rd., Springfield, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 5.4 acres (2.2 ha) |
| Built | 1875 |
| Architect | Francis Richard |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000350 |
| Added to NRHP | May 10, 1979 |
The Winchester Square Historic District is a special area in Springfield, Massachusetts. It's a collection of old brick buildings. These buildings are found near State Street and Wilbraham Road. Most of them were built for factories and businesses. They were constructed between 1875 and 1913.
This historic area includes several important buildings. You can find the old Armory railroad station from 1875. There's also the Winchester Square fire station, built in 1886. The district also has buildings that belonged to the Knox Automobile Company. Plus, part of the Indian Motorcycle Company plant is here. This area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. This means it's an important place to protect.
Why Winchester Square is Special
Winchester Square became a busy industrial area. This happened after the Springfield and New London Railroad was built in 1870. The railroad made it easy to move goods and people. This helped many factories and businesses grow here.
Early Businesses and Inventions
The oldest building in the district was for the Bullard Repeating Arms Company. It was built in 1883. This company made rifles. The founder, Jean Bullard, was a great inventor. He even built an early car that ran on steam in 1887.
One building was later used by the Springfield Industrial Institute. This school started in 1895. It trained many workers for the factories in Springfield. The fire station was built to help the growing area. It made sure firefighters could respond quickly.
The Rise of Indian Motorcycles
The Hendee Manufacturing Company started in this district in 1901. This company later became famous as Indian Motorcycle. By 1914, it was the biggest motorcycle maker in the world. Indian Motorcycle operated here until 1948. The company closed its last factory in 1953.
