Scaffolding in front of 7-9 Stockbridge St. is evidence of the restoration that is underway.
Photo credit: Springfield Preservation Trust
SPRINGFIELD — A part of Springfield’s history is one step closer to being brought back to life.
Phase one of the Springfield Preservation Trust’s restoration of 7-9 Stockbridge St. is finished, with the roof and exterior masonry work complete.
Built in 1845, the building is the third oldest in downtown Springfield.
During its long history, it served as an 1880s grocery store and as Guenther & Handel’s Deli from 1913 until 1972. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Springfield Preservation Trust purchased the property in the spring of 2023, rescuing it from years of neglect and deterioration.
In this phase of the restoration, the roof work was performed by MMC Specialty Roofing, while TMR Mason Contractors addressed the masonry needs on the building’s exterior. “Now that the exterior projects of roof and masonry are completed, the Trust is moving forward with the second phase of exterior restoration, including window and door restorations and painting the building,” said Erica Swallow, president of the Springfield Preservation Trust Board of Directors.
The trust is “focusing full steam on fundraising,” said Swallow. She explained that when the organization bought the building, it had expected renovations to cost about $800,000. However, analysis of the building found it in need of structural stabilization. The trust sought and received a $300,000 Community Preservation grant for the work, which will include the installation of columns and beams, as well as leveling the floors. This brought the estimated costs to $1.2 million.
However, after architect Stephen Jablonski and experts in historic preservation expressed concerns that the project estimate was too low, the project was evaluated by M&S Development of Brattleboro, Vermont. Swallow said a thorough analysis of the project found that the total price tag would be $2.84 million.
“We just didn’t expect it to be as high as they’re estimating,” Swallow said. Prior to purchasing this 7-9 Stockbridge St., the trust had only worked on restoring single-family homes, which typically cost about $100,000.
While much of the funding so far has come from Community Preservation Act grants and from the Springfield Preservation Trust Fund, Swallow said the trust is also seeking smaller donations from individuals, including a recent Giving Tuesday campaign to raise $5,000 to paint the building. Early in the new year, the trust will launch a major capital fundraising campaign for the multi-phased project.
There are several large projects to tackle once attention does turn to the interior of the building. “We will begin environmental remediation of the interior, including asbestos and mold remediation, so that we can move forward with renovations as soon as we have secured funding for the interior projects,” Swallow explained. “We had hoped to complete the project in 2026, but given our current funding gap, it will likely flow into 2027. We are working diligently to close the funding gap in 2026 to bring this building back online as soon as time allows.”
When the 3-floor building is finished, the ground level will house the Springfield Preservation Trust’s office, as well as a historic preservation library and space for programming. The second and third floors will be two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments.
“We look forward to the day when this building is open, providing two additional housing units downtown and the trust’s office, where the public and our membership can come to enjoy programming and educational literature and exhibits on Springfield’s historic architecture, influential builders and architects, and the preservation efforts which have kept our city’s beautiful landscape legacy alive.”
