Springfield, MA Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Age threshold
- 75 years or older
- Review period
- Up to 9 months
- Reviewing body
- Springfield Historical Commission
- Adopted
- 12-16-2013
- Definition amended
- 12-5-2022
Summary
Before tearing down a building 75 years or older, or one listed on the National Register, Springfield owners face a mandatory nine-month review by the Historical Commission under City Code Chapter 218, adopted 2013.
Within seven days of receiving a demolition application, the Building Commissioner or his designee shall determine whether the building to be demolished is a preferably preserved building. If the building is determined to be a preferably preserved building or if the age of the building is unknown, then the Building Commissioner shall forward a copy of the application to the Commission. No demolition permit shall issue for a preferably preserved building for nine months following receipt of the application by the Commission.
B. The Commission shall, within nine months of receiving the application, determine whether the building should be designated an historic district pursuant to Chapter 49 of the Revised Ordinances of the City of Springfield and Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40C.
C. If the Commission has not designated the building as an historic district, within nine months of receiving the application, then the Building Commissioner may issue the demolition permit.
D. This chapter shall not apply to any building located in any area of the City designated a "Casino Overlay District" pursuant to Section 8.5 of the Springfield Zoning Ordinance and for which the State Gaming Commission has granted a license.
E.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4680006; v21 updated 2025-12-15; through 12-15-2025).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 218, adopted by the City Council on 12-16-2013, defines a 'preferably preserved building' as any Springfield structure 75 years or older as recorded by the Assessor, or one listed on (or within a district listed on) the National Register of Historic Places: the age threshold was amended 12-5-2022. Before the Building Commissioner may issue a demolition permit for such a building, the application goes to the Springfield Historical Commission, which has up to nine months to decide whether to designate it a local historic district under Chapter 49 and MGL c. 40C. Casino Overlay District buildings are exempt.
Violations & Fines
There's no separate fine: the ordinance is enforced by withholding the demolition permit. The Building Commissioner cannot issue one for a preferably preserved building until nine months after the Commission receives the application, or until the Commission acts sooner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Springfield delay demolition of old buildings?
Can any building skip this review?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Springfield
Compare Springfield to another location·View the Massachusetts historic preservation overview
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