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Newsletter | Walking Tours | Chestnut St. Mosaic | Community Improvements
Monthly Print Newsletter / Email Updates
AQCA's Newsletter Committee (Dianne Little) sends out a monthly newsletter to members and friends, highlighting AQCA business, Downtown events, and other news of interest to our community. To be added to our mailing list, or to submit items for the newsletter, please email Dianne at info@122chestnut.com. Past newsletters can be downloaded from the Past Projects page.
The AQCA Office also sends out updates via email. To be added to our email list, submit your address using the box to the left, or write to us at aqca@kimballtowers.com. Please send us news that you would like to share with the AQCA e-list.
Second Saturday Walking Tours
Join local historians for informative strolls through the beautiful Armoury-Quadrangle neighborhood in Springfield.
Rain or shine, meet at the Quadrangle Welcome Center at 10:30 AM.
Tours end at noon-ish.
Free to AQCA members and Museums members. All others $5 per person.
2009 Season
April 11: Guy McLain, Director of the Springfield History Museums: History of Retail in Springfield
In 1906 downtown was anchored by three large department stores and many specialty shops, and continued to prosper well into the 20th century. Industrial decline, coupled with the growth of the suburbs, brought about the demise of this once thriving scene in the late 20th century. McLain’s talk will include a sneak peek inside the new Museum of Springfield History to see an exhibit devoted to this topic.
May 9: Ben Murphy, president of the Springfield Preservation Trust, will lead a walking tour focused on the architecture of the great 19th-century architect Henry Hobson Richardson. The group will visit the remaining two Springfield buildings designed by Richardson, as well as the sites of the architect’s structures that are no longer standing. The two existing Richardson buildings are the Hispanic Baptist Church on Salem Street and the former Hampden County Courthouse on State Street, now serving as Juvenile Court. Richardson’s first commission, in 1866, was to build Unity Church in Springfield, which is has been torn down. Murphy will discuss the beginning of Richardson’s career in Springfield and the importance of these buildings to the architect’s future success.
June 13: Local historian Bob McCarroll.
Downtown Springfield's rapid development in the period between the Civil War and World War I led to the loss of most early buildings. Bob McCarroll will lead a walking tour of houses remaining from the first half of the 19th century. Built when Springfield was still a town, these homes represent Federal and Greek Revival styles which predated the Victorian age.
July 11: Spanish-style architecture with local historian Steve Shultis.
Steve will point out downtown architectural features that are similar to those found in Spain. Some examples are the Mudéjar-style (Moorish) brickwork on some of the buildings and the alternating red and white stone on the South Congregational Church which is similar to stone work on the great Mosque of Córdoba.
August 8: Henry Duffy, from the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, on Saint-Gaudens in Springfield.
Tour will include the Puritan, Stearns Square, and the Saint-Gaudens bas relief in the Springfield Cemetery. Not to be missed!
September 12: Brian Connors, SPT member from Springfield’s office of Economic Development and Planning, will be updating us on the State Street Corridor project. We’ll see what’s been done and what is to come. This is the weekend of the Mattoon Street Arts Festival – two great events in one weekend!
October 10: John O’Connor, historian and genealogist extrodinaire, will take us on a tour through the Springfield Cemetery. Because this is the opening weekend of the new Museum of Springfield History, parking will be at the Springfield Cemetery, NOT at the Museums’ Welcome Center.
November 14: Gloria Russell, art historian, will talk about some of the more famous painters who have spent time in Springfield: Chester Harding, Whistler, and more!
Chestnut St. Mosaic Project
During the week of August 11, 2008, AQCA hosted a community art project in partnership with the Springfield Museums and artist Robert Markey. Local teens and adult gathered to help create a mosaic mural/collage. The wall is located at the corner of Winter and Chestnut Streets, the site of the former Shannon's Pub. Proceeds from the Second Saturday Walking Tours and private donations were used to help fund this project. AQCA hopes that work on this wall can be continued in Spring/Summer 2009. Please contact Anna at a.brandenburg@comcast.net for more information.
Community Improvement
AQCA's Community Improvement Committee, chaired by Whiting Houston, has 3 areas of focus: Code Enforcement, Economic Development, and Quality of Life issues.
Some of the specific activities undertaken by the committee include the following:
- Reporting of code violations and consistent follow-up with the Office of Housing, Buildings Department and Code Enforcement.
- Advocating for an increased police presence in the neighborhood, especially targeting illegal sexual activity and drug activity.
- Consistent reporting to the police of chronic problem areas and issues.
- Advocating with the City and area businesses for improved lighting and sidewalks.
- Advocating for improvements to AQCA parks, especially Armoury Common, and organization of neighborhood clean-ups.
This page was last updated on 07/09/09
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