Above is a picture of main street in Springfield many years ago. The street car
line serving Springfield was built in 1882. By 1893 approximately 100 significant
residences were built, primarily along Main, Hubbard, Market, and Laura streets. The
architecture was mainly Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles with some Victorian
residences still remaining.
A fire burned most of the downtown area in 1901, which led to a building boom downtown
and in Springfield. Over 65% of the residences in Springfield were built before
1921. The houses built during this time were mainly Bungalow, Prarie, and
transitional Quenn Anne and Colonial Revival styles. The development of Springfield
began its decline in the late 1920's with the passage of a comprehensive zoning
ordinance in 1925 that designated the area a business district.
SPAR is the Springfield Preservation and Restoration organization founded in 1975 to
reverse the decline in the neighborhood. SPAR has done a great job and is a driving
force behind the incredible transformation that has happened within the last couple of
years. There are some fantastic projects in the pipeline to improve the neighborhood
such as improving streets, sidewalks, mainstreet etc. Check out the Springfield
Community web site at www.historicspringfield.com
for more detail and information on the happenings in Springfield.
