Hampden County Training School | |
Location | 702 S. Westfield St., Agawam, Massachusetts |
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Coordinates | 42°2′39″N72°40′21″W / 42.04417°N 72.67250°W |
Area | 6.9 acres (2.8 ha) |
Built | 1916 |
Architect | George P. B. Alderman |
Architectural style | Classical Revival |
NRHP reference No. | 100002781 [1] |
Added to NRHP | August 16, 2018 |
The Hampden County Training School was a reformatory school for boys at 702 South Westfield Street in Agawam, Massachusetts. Established in 1916, it operated until 1972, providing training agriculture and vocational skills to its charges. In 2010, the state sold the property to a veterans support organization for conversion to residences. [2] The facility opened in 2017. [3] The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. [1]
The former Hampden County Training School property is located in a rural-residential area of southern Agawam, on 6.9 acres (2.8 ha) on the west side of South Westfield Road. A broad lawn and semicircular drive front the main building, a brick Classical Revival building. It has a central section functionally four stories in height, its ground floor functioning visually as a basement. Flanking this section are similar wings that are three stories in height. Banks of windows are separated by brick piers punctuated occasionally by concrete tablets. The main entrance is framed by a massive two-story Ionic portico. [4]
The state first established schools for juvenile delinquents and truants in the mid-19th century, although such offenders were often sent to local poor houses. In 1880 a county school for delinquents was established for Hampden County in Springfield. Increasing urbanization surrounding that school meant that there was call to relocate the facility by the mid 1910s. The present facility was built in 1916 on what had been farmland, to a design by regionally noted architect George P. B. Alderman. The school's design, with dormitories on the top floor, was judged obsolete at the time of its construction, and conditions at the school were never particularly good. At the state level there were regular calls for reorganization of facilities for delinquents, including the closure of county schools such as this one. It was finally closed in 1972. [4]
In 1984 the campus was converted for use as a police training academy, a role it fulfilled into 2005. [4]
Hampden County is a non-governmental county located in the Pioneer Valley of the U.S. state of Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, Hampden County's population was 465,825. 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 one-third of Hampden County residents live in Springfield.
Agawam is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 28,692 at the 2020 census. Agawam sits on the western side of the Connecticut River, directly across from Springfield. It is considered part of the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is contiguous with the Knowledge Corridor area, the second-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.
West Springfield is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 28,835 at the 2020 United States Census. The city is also known as "West Side", in reference to the fact that it is on the western side of the Connecticut River from Springfield, a fact which played a major part in the town's early history.
Western Massachusetts, known colloquially as "western Mass," is a region in Massachusetts, one of the six U.S. states that make up the New England region of the United States. Western Massachusetts has diverse topography; 22 colleges and universities including UMass in Amherst, MA, with approximately 100,000 students; and such institutions as Tanglewood, the Springfield Armory, and Jacob's Pillow.
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 Eugene 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 despite some unsympathetic modifications, and it was for about a century an important local social gathering point, and a major stop on the east-west stagecoach road. Now divided into apartments, 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, it is currently used as a hotel for Holiday Inn Express. It is 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 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 25 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.