Westinghouse

The Westinghouse industrial complex is located in the East Springfield neighborhood on Page Boulevard. This historic industrial complex is endangered because  of a recently proposed retail development that will demolish the over 900,000 square feet of historic manufacturing and warehouse space, representing all the structures on the site. The complex, while not officially surveyed or inventoried as historic are in fact important structures for both their historic and architectural significance.

Historically some of the manufacturing buildings were the site of the Stevens-Duryea plant before it was sold to Westinghouse. Stevens-Duryea was the maker of the first mass produced automobile in the US. The complex was also the site of the founding of radio station WBZ, which is now the oldest surviving radio station in New England. The presence of the radio station can still be seen through the large antennas on the roof of  the building pictured at right.

The complex is also significant to the regions history as a manufacturing center, representing one of the largest historic manufacturing facilities still left in Western Massachusetts. The complex is also architecturally significant through the large scale manufacturing space and details like the porcelain decorations (seen in the top left image) on the Westinghouse office building, which is uncommon for Springfield.

While the developer has made it clear that none of the existing structures will be used in the retail development, it is hoped that the developer will have a change of heart and save the most significant structures on the site.