The Water Shops Armory, located at 1 Allen Street, was a part of the
Springfield Armory
The Springfield Armory, more formally known as the United States Armory and Arsenal at Springfield located in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, was the primary center for the manufacture of United States military firearms from 1777 until ...
in
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, th ...
. Developed beginning in 1857, it served as the heavy manufacturing complex for the armory. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1980.
Description and history
The main armory stretched over two city blocks in what was known as the Hill Shops (where the National Historic Site now is accompanied by the
Springfield Technical Community College
Springfield Technical Community College (STCC, Stick) is a public Hispanic-serving technical college in Springfield, Massachusetts. It is the only technical community college in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Located on the site of the ...
which occupies most of the 22 original buildings). About one mile (1.6 km) south, on the Mill River, the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
built the Water Shops where the heavy metal forging and machining was done as well as gun stock shaping. It was located there to take advantage of the water power supplied by the Mill River. The complex consists of several buildings, most of them connected into one large grouping, set in part astride the river below the dam that impounds Watershops Pond.
[
When the armory was established in 1794, the Mill River was where it established a series of early workshops, at three different falls. In the 1850s, these facilities were reorganized into a single site, with the first of the present buildings built in 1857. Over the next four years, additional buildings augmented the capabilities of the site, giving it sufficient capacity to meet the armory's heavy manufacturing needs. The dam and canal were built to raise the level of Watershops Pond, and new turbines were installed to provide 300 horsepower for the facilities.]
See also
*
*
* List of military installations in Massachusetts
This is a list of current and former military installations in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Current military installations in Massachusetts Joint facilities
;Bases
* Joint Base Cape Cod (state designation, not federally recognized)
References
External links
Image before the fireWater Shops Armory Forge Building MACRIS ListingWater Shops Armory Machine Shop MACRIS ListingWater Shops Armory Main Storehouse MACRIS ListingWater Shops Armory Manufacturing MACRIS ListingWater Shops Armory Storehouse MACRIS Listing
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Firearm manufacturers of the United States
Armories on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Buildings and structures in Springfield, Massachusetts
National Register of Historic Places in Springfield, Massachusetts