"FOOT TOUR — 1.5 m.
15. The U.S. Armory and Arsenal (open by permission) occupies a site selected by George Washington and Colonel David Mason of Boston. It was established by Congress in 1794, and the first muskets were manufactured here in 1795. The Civil War brought a great influx of workmen and in 1864 over 3000 men were employed turning out 1000 rifles a day. The Springfield rifle is still made here. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow stopped at the Arsenal on his honeymoon; his wife noticed the resemblance of the tiers of stacked arms to the pipes of an organ, and Longfellow afterward wrote 'The Arsenal at Springfield.' The Museum (open weekdays except Sat. 8.30-12, 1-4.30) has an excellent collection of small arms. Of especial importance is the old Blanchard lathe, an invention for turning gunstocks.
--- Massachusetts; a guide to its places and people. Page 365; copyright 1937
The organ of muskets at the Springfield Armory was made famous by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his poem "The Arsenal at Springfield". The arrangement of arms that inspired the poem is on display at the Springfield Armory Museum. A sign in front of the display reproduces the famous poem. The opening lines of "The Arsenal at Springfield" are:
This is the Arsenal. From floor to ceiling,
Like a huge organ, rise the burnished arms;
But from their silent pipes no anthem pealing
Startles the villages with strange alarms.
Because of its strategic location on the Connecticut River, the Federal Arsenal at Springfield was established during the Revolutionary War on the recommendation of General Henry Knox. It produced small arms, repaired small arms, and made fuses, cartridges, wagons, and saddles. It also was the major location for the storage of gunpowder and other war materials.
After the war, in 1794, General Knox, now the Secretary of War, recommended to President Washington that the arsenal become the Nation's First National Armory.
In 1919, John Garand, at age 31, was employed by the Springfield Armory where he worked to develop a semi-automatic rifle. After several attempts he developed the world famous M1, or "Garand rifle". The army adopted the rifle in 1936 and production began in 1937. After World War II began the Springfield Armory made weapons for the U.S. Military, especially the M1 rifle which was the standard rifle used by U.S. Army and Marines. Production was greatly increased by hiring mostly women. The Springfield Armory eventually produced over 4.5 million M1 rifles.
The Armory continues to supply weapons during the Korean War and into the Vietnam War until it was closed in 1968. Several of the buildings were converted into a museum and others became part of the newly established Springfield Technical Community College. The museum preserves the one of the best examples of US military shoulder arms, pistols, machine guns, edged weapons, and production machinery.
The Armory was closed in 1968. Several of the buildings were converted into a museum and others became part of the newly established Springfield Technical Community College. The museum preserves the one of the best examples of US military shoulder arms, pistols, machine guns, edged weapons, and production machinery.
The Springfield Armory is open daily 9am to 5 pm. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free.