Springfield Municipal Group - Springfield, MA
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 42° 06.058 W 072° 35.389
18T E 699295 N 4663797
The Municipal Group of three structures - City Hall, Campanile, Symphony Hall - occupies the entire north side of the Court Square District in downtown Springfield.
Waymark Code: WMHEHJ
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 07/01/2013
Views: 5
"FOOT TOUR — 1.5 m.
3. The Springfield Municipal Group, on the north side of the Square, consists of an office and court building, an auditorium, and a 300-foot campanile (open Mon.-Fri. 9-11, 2-4; Sat. 9-11), with an illuminated clock and a carillon of 12 bells. It was designed by Pell and Corbett and dedicated in 1913. The view from the observatory platform (elevator) offers a view of the city against a background of mountain peaks. The group is an impressive civic monument, imposing in its proportions, its classic detail and in the identical Corinthian porticoes which dignify the front of both buildings."
--- Massachusetts; a guide to its places and people. Page 362, copyright 1937.
The Municipal Complex contains two matching Greek Revival buildings which house the City Hall and Symphony Hall. Between the two is the 300-foot Italianate Campanile clock and bell tower. The group was erected at a cost of two million dollars and dedicated December 8, 1913. It has become the iconic symbol of Springfield.
City Hall is is located on the northeast side of the complex. Springfield's first City Hall was destroyed by fire in 1905. According to Springfield lore, a monkey overturned a kerosene lamp at a City Hall fair and started the fire. The city was at the height of its industrial power and desperately needed a new city hall. It was decided to finance the present day magnificent grand municipal complex and retained architects Harvey Wiley Corbett and F. Livingston Pell to designed a Greek revival City Hall and Symphony Hall as well as the Italianate Campanile.
The 300-foot Italianate Campanile (Bell Tower) is the most prominent structure of the Springfield Municipal Complex. It is flanked by two two Greek Revival buildings which house City Hall and Symphony Hall. The campanile contains a carillon of twelve bells, that play sixteen notes of Handel's Messiah, and an illuminated four-faced clock. The face of each clock is fourteen feet in diameter. Originally, the clock and elevator were powered by water.
Symphony Hall is the cultural center of Springfield. It is home to the Springfield Symphony Orchestra under the leadership of Kevin Rhodes, Music Director. It was built in 1912 and was extensively refurbished and rededicated in 1980 as Symphony Hall. The building interior was renovated once again in 2004. The facility has 2611 seats - 1779 in the Orchestra and Grand Tier, 832 in the Balcony.