Springfield Preservation Trust

See history come alive in this tour of Springfield Cemetery, featuring live actors portraying Springfield’s influential past residents.

Learn about important figures in Springfield history at our annual "Voices from the Grave" historic cemetery tour. This year, the Trust will cover history from the Springfield Armory National Historic Site former residents.

Hosted by the Springfield Preservation Trust and developed by SPT Secretary Michael Stevens and Springfield Armory, the tour is an hour-long experience through Springfield Cemetery. Docents lead visitors to the graves of notable cemetery residents, where costumed interpreters speak about each person of interest. Reserve your ticket through Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/e/springfield-armory-voices-from-the-grave-tickets-2001072626092.

Hour-long walking tours will depart every fifteen minutes starting on October 18 at 1:00 PM at Springfield Cemetery. Tickets are free through a partnership with the American Alliance of Museums and the National Park Service. Tickets will be purchasable again next year. This event is held rain or shine! Enter Springfield Cemetery through the Pine Street entrance. Do not use the Maple Street entrance.

Photos courtesy of Turnkey Media.

The Chapman and Brooks Block at 135-137 Lyman Street has been demolished. Chapman & Brooks were wholesale dealers in hardware, paints, oils, glass, brushes, mill supplies, woodenware, fiber ware, agricultural implements, and field and garden seeds. It is a sad day for historic preservationists to see another historic building in Springfield demolished, leaving a vacant lot.

Last day of Mattoon Street Art Festival and SPT will be here till 3pm!

Visit SPT at the Mattoon Street Art Festival today! It is open till 5pm today.

Today join us for the South End Origins Second Saturday Tour on September 12 at 10:30 am! Start at 7-9 Stockbridge Street!🏛️

The South End is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Springfield, and it was one of the first places in Springfield to be settled by English colonists in the 1630s. This walking tour will explore the history and development of the South End from the 1600s through the 1800s, including the history of the lost buildings that once stood on Main Street. Discover history where it happened—rain or shine!

Your guide is Derek Strahan, managing editor of Lost New England, author, podcast host, and a leader in local preservation.

On-street parking available. SPT and Springfield Museums members: $5; public: $10. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/south-end-origins-second-saturday-tour-tickets-1992569244248? Or pay in cash today.

The Second Saturday Tours are co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust, Springfield Museums, and Springfield Libraries, with generous support from the Springfield Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council.

South End Origins Second Saturday Tour This tour will focus on the 19th century South End. It will start around Stockbridge Street and then head south along Main Street to around

Tomorrow join us for the South End Origins Second Saturday Tour on September 12 at 10:30 am! Start at 7-9 Stockbridge Street!🏛️

The South End is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Springfield, and it was one of the first places in Springfield to be settled by English colonists in the 1630s. This walking tour will explore the history and development of the South End from the 1600s through the 1800s, including the history of the lost buildings that once stood on Main Street. Discover history where it happened—rain or shine!

Your guide is Derek Strahan, managing editor of Lost New England, author, podcast host, and a leader in local preservation.

On-street parking available. SPT and Springfield Museums members: $5; public: $10. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/south-end-origins-second-saturday-tour-tickets-1992569244248?

The Second Saturday Tours are co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust, Springfield Museums, and Springfield Libraries, with generous support from the Springfield Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council.

Join us for the South End Origins Second Saturday Tour on September 12 at 10:30 am! Start at 7-9 Stockbridge Street!🏛️

This month’s tour dives into the 19th-century South End, starting at Stockbridge Street and heading south along Main Street toward Central Street. Discover history where it happened—rain or shine!

Your guide is Derek Strahan, managing editor of Lost New England, author, podcast host, and a leader in local preservation.

On-street parking available. SPT and Springfield Museums members: $5; public: $10. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/south-end-origins-second-saturday-tour-tickets-1992569244248?

The Second Saturday Tours are co-presented by the Springfield Preservation Trust, Springfield Museums, and Springfield Libraries, with generous support from the Springfield Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council.

The Chapman and Brooks Block at 135-137 Lyman Street is being demolished. Chapman & Brooks were wholesale dealers in hardware, paints, oils, glass, brushes, mill supplies, woodenware, fiber ware, agricultural implements, and field and garden seeds. Previously, the Chapman & Brooks Block had been vacant and owned by the City through tax foreclosure since 2009. Since then, the City has issued several redevelopment RFPs. The Building Department reviewed the building after several bricks fell from the western façade during the winter of 2023. The City conducted another RFP process and selected an owner. In March 2026, that developer went to the Springfield Historical Commission to lift the demolition delay, and the Commission granted the request. The building is currently being demolished. This will be the third building razed on Lyman Street this year.