Hampden County Courthouse

Springfield, United States

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

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Hampden County Courthouse stands on Elm Street in Springfield, Massachusetts, a landmark designed by Henry Hobson Richardson and completed in 1874. Built in response to an 1869 grand jury indictment of county commissioners for failing to provide fireproof storage of public records, the courthouse was constructed between late 1871 and its dedication on April 28, 1874, at a cost of $214,068. The I-shaped structure rises in light gray Monson granite with rough-faced random ashlar masonry, its main facade emphasizing vertical lines, tall windows, and two tall dormers flanking a bell tower. Richardson's design reflects his evolving architectural vision, showing development from the Brattle Square Church. Between 1908 and 1912, the successor firm Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge added a substantial addition that eliminated the sloping roof and high dormers, obscuring aspects of the original design. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, the building now houses the juvenile and Western Division of the Massachusetts Housing Court and forms part of the Court Square Historic District.