Longmeadow Historic District


The Longmeadow Historic District is a historic district encompassing the village green of Longmeadow, Massachusetts and properties in its immediate vicinity. The district acquired local protection in 1973 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Longmeadow's village green was laid out in the early 18th century, and it is the area around which the town center developed. It is located on a sandy ridge on a terrace about east of the Connecticut River, with a flood plain in between that now also carries Interstate 91. The green is a long park running north–south between Ely and Birnie Roads, with the main travel lanes of Longmeadow Street on the west side and an access road on the east side. The green is mainly grassy, and is lined with mature trees. Its only significant man-made structure is the town's war memorial, placed in 1931.
The green historically saw a variety of uses, and was only formally turned into a park late in the 19th century. The buildings that face the green for the most part date from the 18th and 19th centuries; the principal 20th century structures are the public library building, Town Hall, and the Center School. The Old Country Store is the only commercial building in the district, and there is only one church, the First Congregational. The oldest house dates to 1725, while the latest date to the 1910s. The district was named as one of the 1,000 places to visit in Massachusetts by the Great Places in Massachusetts Commission.