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Maker(s):unknown
Culture:American
Title:View of State Street at Dwight Street, Springfield Massachusetts
Date Made:circa 1870s
Type:Photograph
Materials:photograph on paper
Place Made:United States: Massachusetts (probably)
Measurements:Frame: 11 1/2 x 17 1/2 in; 29.2 x 44.4 cm; Sight: 5 5/8 x 11 5/8 in; 14.3 x 29.5 cm
Accession Number:  HD 2023.6
Credit Line:Gift of Brett Franklin Johnson
Museum Collection:  Historic Deerfield

Description:
House at left with attached store fronts was the home of James Scutt Dwight. He took over running the Dwight family stores. He was a very successful Springfield merchant. His father was Jonathan Dwight, cousin of Josiah Dwight owner of Historic Deerfield's Dwight House. Jonathan and Josiah ran the Dwight Store and were also  important Springfield  merchants. They ran satellite stores in Northampton, South Hadley, Greenfield, Westfield, Chester, Belchertown and Enfield CT. The side street along the Dwight house is Dwight Street. On the left side of the street is the gambrel roofed Bliss house which was built around 1760. This house originally stood on State Street about where the current city library stands today. If has since been demolished. The gabled roofed house next to the Bliss house is the Nathaniel Ely Tavern.  It was believed to have been built in 1660 and originally stood on Main St. The tavern was used as a popular hang out for Continental soldiers during the Revolutionary War. This house has been demolished. Along State Street is the Episcopal Church and Rectory.  These were the first real buildings of worship for the parish constructed in 1839. Prior to their construction the parish worshipped in a room at the Springfield Armory.  Anna Whistler, mother of the painter James Whistler, and her husband were members of the congregation when this building was in use. To the right of the church is the new Christ Cathedral on Chestnut Street, built in 1876, to replace the 1839 Episcopal  church on State Street. To the right of Christ Church is the Alexander house.  The house is thought to beon its original site in the photo. The house has been moved several times and was moved from its original site on State and Elliot Streets to State Street and in 2004 to Elliot Street to make way for the new Federal Court House on State Street.  It was built in 1811 by James Byers. The house is believed to have been designed by Asher Benjamin. It was at one point owned by Historic New England and is considered a fine example of Federal Architectural design has been very well preserved over the years.

Tags:
streets; structures; churches; houses; cities

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2023.6

Research on objects in the collections, including provenance, is ongoing and may be incomplete. If you have additional information or would like to learn more about a particular object, please email fc-museums-web@fivecolleges.edu.

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