Apremont Triangle Historic District is a historic district in

Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is the most populous city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, and its county seat. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ea ...

, located at the junction of Pearl, Hillman, Bridge, and Chestnut Streets in its Metro Center district. The Apremont Triangle Historic District includes the Apremont Triangle Park, nicknamed "the Heart of Springfield" by the city's arts community; the historic, 10-story Kimball Towers Condominiums, (formerly the luxurious Hotel Kimball - "Western Massachusetts' Leading Hotel - built in 1910;) a nine-story historic, former

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches w ...

, which now houses apartments at 122 Chestnut Street, (1915); the six-story

Neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...

Tarbell-Waters Building (1923), a former office building that was auctioned in August 2011; the two-story Harris-Green building, a 1920s

Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...

showroom, which is, actually, two buildings; and the two-story Birnie Building, a 1930s Pontiac showroom. Currently, the district is the center of Springfield's bohemian arts community, featuring multi-media organizations, artists' lofts, ethnic restaurants, and organizations like The Apremont Arts Community - group of multi-media artists, non-profit organizations, and businesses. Located in a walkable area, the Apremont Triangle Historic District is less than half a mile from Springfield's Club Quarter, its Downtown Business District,

Union Station A union station, union terminal, joint station, or joint-use station is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway company, railway companies, allowing passengers to connect conveniently bet ...

, the Quadrangle, the MassMutual Center, Symphony Hall, 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 ...

, and numerous other sites.

2011 sales of 122 Chestnut and the Tarbell-Waters Building

As of June 2011, the

Renaissance Revival Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th-century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of ...

122 Chestnut - the former

building that was, during the 1980s, adaptively re-used to become 99 rental apartments - and the

Tarbell-Waters Buildings are both for sale. These are two of the five properties that constitute the Apremont Triangle Historic District. The buyer of these properties could substantially change the character of the Apremont Triangle Historic District, which in recent years has flourished as an increasingly bohemian arts district. The asking price for 122 Chestnut is 6.5 million, including an attached 144 car parking lot. Residents of the Apremont Triangle Historic District look at dual building sales with both caution and optimism, because in recent years, the neighborhood has had great success in attracting artistic and bohemian residents to the Kimball Towers, 122 Chestnut, the Birnie Building, and the McIntosh - an adaptively re-purposed shoe factory on Worthington Street. However, precisely because the neighborhood has been on an upward trajectory for years; the sale of two of the district's most important buildings are temporarily, in 2011, depressing market values at the Kimball and McIntosh, reflected in 1 bedroom units selling in the $30,000s-$80,000s.

Apremont Triangle Park

The Apremont Triangle Park was named after Springfield's 104th Infantry - the first U.S. military regiment ever honored by a foreign power for bravery in war. Following the 104th Infantry's valor at Apremont during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, it received the

Croix de Guerre The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...

from the Nation of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. The Apremont Triangle Park is named in honor of the U.S. 104th Infantry Regiment's heroism at Apremont. In the park, there is monument to the 104th Infantry, Springfield's own, noting its heroism at Apremont. Amazingly, again in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the 104th Infantry Regiment again received the prestigious

for its valor at war. In World War II, the 104th Infantry fought under General George Patton and in the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive or Unternehmen Die Wacht am Rhein, Wacht am Rhein, was the last major German Offensive (military), offensive Military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western ...

Kimball Towers Condominiums

The Hotel Kimball was once "Western Massachusetts finest hotel." Built in 1910, and opened on St. Patrick's Day, 1911, the New York Times reviewed the Hotel Kimball as "ranking with the finest otelsin the country. A magnificent hotel, modern and metropolitan in every appointment." In 1920 it hosted the United States' first-ever commercial radio station - WBZ, Springfield. U.S. Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy all stayed at The Kimball - some before and some after the 1940s transition into the Sheraton-Kimball Hotel, operated by

Sheraton Hotels and Resorts Sheraton Hotels and Resorts is an American international hotel chain owned by Marriott International. As of June 30, 2020, Sheraton operates 446 hotels with 155,617 rooms globally, including locations in North America, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Cent ...

. The Kimball was the first "grand hotel" purchased by Sheraton, a company that was, at the time, headquartered in Springfield. Today, the Hotel Kimball is the Kimball Towers Condominiums. During the 1980s, when the building's condo developer was converting over 300 hotel rooms to approximately 120 condominiums, he filed for bankruptcy. Many of the Kimball's units, (especially those on the lower floors,) were left in disrepair or completely bare. From the 1990s until the 2000s, the building was managed by the

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is a State-owned enterprises of the United States, United States government corporation supplying deposit insurance to depositors in American commercial banks and savings banks. The FDIC was cr ...

because - due to it historic designation - it could not be torn down. In the 2000s, urban living in Metro Center Springfield became popular, especially among bohemians, artists, empty-nesters, and LGBT residents - people attracted to urban living without the high price. The Kimball Towers, due to its low-prices (from its formerly troubled history as a condominium development) and essentially 'blank canvas' left by the initial condominium developer, became a center for Springfield's arts community. As of 2011, it is one of Springfield's most prominent buildings for artists, bohemians, and others in the

creative class The creative class is the posit of American urban studies theorist Richard Florida for an ostensible socioeconomic class. Florida, a professor and head of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Management at the University of ...

References

{{SpringfieldMA History of Springfield, Massachusetts Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Tourist attractions in Springfield, Massachusetts Parks in Springfield, Massachusetts Urban public parks Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Springfield, Massachusetts Neighborhoods in Springfield, Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in Springfield, Massachusetts

2011 sales of 122 Chestnut and the Tarbell-Waters Building

Apremont Triangle Park

Kimball Towers Condominiums

See also

References