Westfield – Page 3 – Historic Buildings of Massachusetts

Rinnova Building (1900)

by Dan/January 21, 2016January 21, 2016/Commercial, Italianate, Organizations, Westfield

The building at 105-107 Elm Street in Westfield was erected in 1900 as the home of the YMCA. The Westfield YMCA was founded in 1888 (the dates 1888 and 1900 appear on the front of the building). Augustus W. Holton designed the building, which has a ground floor that has been used by many businesses over the years. A gymnasium was added to the building in 1903. The YMCA moved to a new building in 1950. Today the old YMCA is called the Rinnova Building. The first-floor commercial space was later home to Fine’s clothing store and more recently was leased by Westfield State University for a downtown art gallery. It is now home to Westfield on Weekends, which includes Westfield Creative Arts.

Lambson Furniture Company (1868)

by Dan/January 9, 2016January 9, 2016/Commercial, Italianate, Westfield

In 1868 Clinton K. Lambson purchased the property at 89 Elm Street in Westfield. There may have been a building on the property, built in 1860, or Lambson may have erected a new commercial building, c. 1868. The building would be home to Lambson Furniture Company for over 120 years. Up to the mid-1980s it was run by Rita Devine. As was common of furniture stores at the time, the company also included an undertaking business in its earlier years. The building underwent significant changes in 1924, when a fourth floor was added and the facade was altered: the original brick cornice was removed and the second floor was changed over to plate glass windows.

Parks Building (1873)

by Dan/May 21, 2015May 21, 2015/Commercial, Italianate, Westfield

Oren B. Parks operated a grocery store in Westfield and became a successful businessman and civic leader in the late nineteenth century. He played a major role in developing the Northside section of Westfield. Around 1873 he built the three-story commercial building at 57-59 North Elm Street to accommodate his expanding business.

Foster House Hotel (1843)

by Dan/January 12, 2015/Greek Revival, Hotels, Westfield

The building at 50 North Elm Street in Westfield was built in 1843 as a hotel by Micajak Taylor. In the 1850s the building was known as the Pontoosic House Hotel and from the 1890s the hotel and tavern/restaurant was known as the Foster House. Thought to be the oldest continuously operated tavern in western Massachusetts, the Foster House has now been closed for several years.

D. W. Gillett Block (1899)

by Dan/November 6, 2014/Commercial, Neoclassical, Renaissance Revival, Westfield

After the Masonic Block on Elm Street in Westfield burned down in 1896, Ralph D. Gillett constructed a new building (100 Elm Street) on the site in 1898-1899. It is a three-story granite and buff brick corner building with terra cotta and metal trim. Gillett was president of the Hampton Railroad, whose offices were in the building, along with McClure Laboratories (which tested food for impurities, gaining Westfield the title of “The Pure Food Town“) and The Great River Water and Power Company. Today the Gillett Block is owned by the City of Westfield and is used by the Westfield Gas and Electric Company.

South Maple Street School (1888)

by Dan/November 5, 2014/Schools, Vernacular, Westfield

The former South Maple Street School, a two-room brick schoolhouse built in 1888, is located at 89 South Maple Street in Westfield. The school was in continuous use until 1918 and was then unoccupied until 1931, when it became a Grange Hall for Westfield Grange #20. An entryway to the cellar kitchen was added to the building’s front facade around 1960.

Root House (1840)

by Dan/November 5, 2014/Greek Revival, Houses, Westfield

Known as the Root House, the house at 63 Broad Street in Westfield was built c. 1840.