Springfield part 2/ The Marketplace

The Springfield Marketplace

This lovely old building is now home to a museum as well as a wonderful coffee shop and traveler's information center. Situated directly across from the downtown Marriott Courtyard, it could well be considered a cornerstone landmark for the history of the town.

Unfortunately, Springfield, like so many other midwestern towns, has not been overly aggressive in retaining and maintaining older, historic buildings. For years, the town fathers fell in with so many other cities that bought into the notion or urban renewal where new is better. Thankfully, historic preservation were able to convince them that parts of our local heritage should and could be salvaged and utilized in a productive manner.

Springfield is far from being the booming city it was at the turn of the last century. We were a Mecca for industrial production and the wealth of the town is clearly visible in some of the historic homes along High, Fountain, and Limestone Streets. When I started studying our region, I was shocked to discover all of the wonderful inventions and products that came from Springfield that were heavily utilized during most of the last century. The farming industry alone benefited from hundreds of products engineered and manufactured here. Truly amazing when you look at the dynamic of this small Midwestern footprint.

Oh well. Time marches onward. I'm just glad we've found a way to start holding on to our rich heritage before it totally slipped from our grasp.
Dawn