Hampden County is a non-governmental county located in the Pioneer Valley of the state of Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, Hampden County's population was 463,490. As of 2019, Hampden County's estimated population was 466,372. Its traditional county seat is Springfield, the Connecticut River Valley's largest city, and economic and cultural capital; with an estimated population of 154,758, approximately 1 in 3 residents of Hampden County live in Springfield. Hampden County was split from Hampshire County in 1812, because Northampton, Massachusetts, was made Hampshire County's "shire town" in 1794; however, Springfield—theretofore Hampshire County's traditional shire town, dating back to its founding in 1636—grew at a pace far quicker than Northampton and was granted shire town-status over its own, southerly jurisdiction. It was named for parliamentarian John Hampden. To the north of Hampden County is modern-day Hampshire County; to the west is Berkshire County; to the east is Worcester County; to the south are Litchfield County, Hartford County, and Tolland County in Connecticut.
Agawam is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 28,438 at the 2010 census. Agawam sits on the western side of the Connecticut River, directly across from Springfield, Massachusetts. It is considered part of the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is contiguous with the Knowledge Corridor area, the 2nd largest metropolitan area in New England. Agawam contains a subsection, Feeding Hills. The Six Flags New England amusement park is located in Agawam, on the banks of the Connecticut River.
The United States Whip Company Complex or "United States Line Company Complex" is a historic factory located in Westfield, Massachusetts. It was owned and operated by one of the whip-making businesses that led Westfield to become widely known as "Whip City". United States Whip, created in 1892 by the consolidation of several local manufacturers, was the world's largest manufacturer of whips. The factory complex was listed individually on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, and as part of an expanded Westfield Center Historic District in 2013.
The Willys–Overland Block is a historic commercial and industrial block at 151-157 Chestnut and 10-20 Winter Streets in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts. Built in 1916, it is a surviving reminder of Springfield early history in the manufacture and sale of automobile, housing the sales showroom and service center for the Willys–Overland Company. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 24, 1983.
The Smith Carriage Company District encompasses three buildings on Park Street, Springfield, Massachusetts, between Main and Willow Streets. The buildings, located at 12, 14–38, and 11–31 Park Street, are noted for their historic association with the locally important Smith Carriage Company, a major manufacturer of carriages in the 19th century. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Westfield Municipal Building is a historic building at 59 Court Street in Westfield, Massachusetts. It presently houses the Westfield city offices and the local district court. It was built in 1889 to house the state normal school, serving in that role until its acquisition by the city in 1959. The building was designed by the architectural firm of Hartwell and Richardson. The second partner was William Cummings Richardson, not H. H. Richardson, but the design of this building, only a few years after the latter's death, was strongly influenced by his distinctive style.
The Joseph Dewey House is a historic house museum at 87 South Maple Street in Westfield, Massachusetts. Built about 1735, it is one of the city's few surviving pre-Revolutionary buildings. It is now maintained as a museum property by the local historical society. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.
Fitzgerald's Stearns Square Block was a historic commercial block at 300–308 Bridge Street in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts. It was built in 1871 for Patrick Fitzgerald, one of Springfield's leading real estate developers of the time, and is an important early design of E.C. Gardner, who later designed a number of prominent Springfield properties. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It was apparently demolished sometime afterward; the site is now a parking lot.
The Landlord Fowler Tavern is a historic tavern in Westfield, Massachusetts. Probably built in the 1750s, it is a good local example of Georgian architecture, and it was for about a century an important local social gathering point, and a major stop on the east-west stagecoach road. Now a private residence, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
The Radding Building is a large historic commercial building at 143-147 State Street in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts. One of the tallest and most prominent buildings on State Street, it was built in 1915 by Edward Radding to a Classical Revival design by local architect Charles R. Greco. The building has been known for many years as the headquarters of the Mutual Fire Assurance Company. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The Clovis Robert Block is a historic mixed-use commercial and residential block at 338-348 Main Street in south Holyoke, Massachusetts. Built in 1881 and enlarged in 1888, it is a prominent early example of the work of local architect George P. B. Alderman, and is representative of development patterns in the city that served its growing French Canadian immigrant community. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
Thomas and Esther Smith House is a historic house at 251 North West Street in Agawam, Massachusetts. It is one of the oldest houses in Agawam. The house is situated on 1 acre (0.40 ha) of land about 5 miles (8.0 km) west of the Connecticut River, at the foot of Provin Mountain. It is a vernacular 1+1⁄2-story house with plain Georgian styling. The main block of the house is three bays wide, with a gambrel roof and a central chimney. A 1+1⁄2-story addition on the western side of the house as a gabled roof. The main block's foundation is fieldstone, while that of the addition is brick and concrete block.
The Springfield Steam Power Company Block is a historic industrial building at 51-59 Taylor Street in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts. Built in 1881, it is a surviving example of a late 19th-century power distribution component, part of a scheme by the Springfield Steam Power Company to deliver steam power to nearby industrial facilities. The block was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Its ground floor now houses "The City Church", a local community of Jesus followers.
The State Normal Training School is a historic training school building at 27 Washington Street in Westfield, Massachusetts. It was constructed in 1899 to provide a teaching facility for teachers-in-training who were students at the Westfield State Normal School, the second-oldest such school the nation. It was operated jointly by the normal school and the city of Westfield from 1900 until 1956, at which point it was converted into a regular elementary school. The city formally acquired the property in 1977. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The building now houses apartments, and is known in the community as Courthouse Square.
The Capt. Charles Leonard House is a historic house at 663 Main Street in Agawam, Massachusetts. Built in 1805, it is described as Agawam's finest Federalist building, and is attributed to architect Asher Benjamin. It is now owned by a local nonprofit organization, which uses the house to stage community events. It is open for tours, and is available for rental. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
The School Street Barn is the last remaining 19th century barn in Agawam, Massachusetts. Built in 1880, it is located in the town's School Street Park, and is one of the few surviving elements of the Springfield City Jail Farm, which was located here in the mid-20th century. The barn was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.
The Prospect Hill School is a historic school building at 33 Montgomery Street in Westfield, Massachusetts. The Colonial Revival school was built in 1897 to a design by Augustus W. Holton. The school was built on the site of an earlier wood frame school which was no longer adequate to support the school district's growing student population. It is made of red brick with white sandstone detailing. The hip roof was originally slate, but is now asphalt shingles. The school when it opened had eight schoolrooms and served 300 students. It represented the beginning of a change in the Westfield schools from wood frame schoolhouses to modern buildings.
The Westfield Center Historic District is a historic district encompassing 157 acres (64 ha) of the civic, commercial, and industrial heart of Westfield, Massachusetts. It represents a major expansion of the Westfield Center Commercial Historic District, which included only two blocks of buildings along Elm Street in downtown Westfield. The district includes buildings representing the city's growth in the 19th century as a center of the whip-making industry, and its early years as a center for statewide educational institutions, as well as its growth as a regional center of western Hampden County. The commercial district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008; the expansion and renaming of the district took place in 2013.
The Chapin School is a historic former school building at 40 Meadow Street in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Built in 1899 and enlarged over the following 15 years, it is a prominent local example of Classical Revival architecture, and exemplifies city planning of the period, having been designed with growth in mind. The building, now converted to residences for homeless veterans, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.
The Moseley School is a historic school building at 24 Dartmouth Street in Westfield, Massachusetts. Built in 1924, it is a good local example of Colonial Revival architecture, and served the town as an elementary school for nearly a century. The building, vacant since 2009, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020.
