Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, features relatively few skyscrapers compared its peer cities, due to a 1908 Massachusetts state law limiting the city's building height to 125', which remained in effect until 1970. In 1907-08, the construction of 1200 Main Street caused such an outcry in both Springfield and Boston that the Massachusetts State Legislature passed a law limiting commercial building height in Springfield to 125' – the height of the steeple of Springfield's Old First Church (the fourth incarnation of which had been constructed in 1819). As a consequence, Springfield did not develop a modern skyline in the pre-World War II styles of art deco or neo-classicism; however, many 'human-scale' versions of both styles exist in Springfield.
Springfield's height limit was broached purposely in 1970, after the U.S. government had closed the Springfield Armory and many residents began to complain that Springfield looked too Victorian, architecturally. The Baystate West tower (now known as Tower Square, bearing MassMutual's name), standing 371', was designed that year in the brutalist International style by renowned architect Pietro Belluschi. Several major downtown projects followed in the 1970s and 1980s, creating an impressive modern skyline accented by the Campanile tower of 1913 (the one building which was allowed to breach the height law imposed on Springfield by Massachusetts). + Tallest buildings and structures in Springfield, Massachusetts Rank NameImage Height Floors Use Built1 Monarch Place 401 ft 26 Commercial office 19872 Tower Square 371 ft 29 Commercial office 19703 Springfield Municipal Group Campanile 300 ft n/a Campanile 19134 Chestnut Park 289 ft 34 Apartment building 19775 One Financial Plaza 230 ft 17 Commercial office 19836Chestnut Park207 ft17Apartment building19767Linden Towers183 ft15Apartment building8Springfield Marriot183 ft.159Bay State Place-East158 ft.1310Tri-Towers Tower 1158 ft.1311Tri-Towers Tower 2158 ft.1312Bay State Place-West146 ft.1213Tri-Towers 3146 ft.1214Laquinta Hotel146 ft.1215Sheraton Monarch146 ft.1216TD Bank Center146 ft.1217 295 Worthington Street 142 ft 8 Commercial office 192618 1200 Main Street 125 ft 12 Commercial office 1907-0819 95 State Street 125 ft 10 Commercial office 193020 People's Bank 125 ft 10 Bank 191521 Old First Church at Court Square 125 ft n/a Church 1816
See also Springfield Municipal Group Hotel Kimball Springfield Memorial Bridge List of tallest buildings in Boston List of tallest buildings in Cambridge, Massachusetts List of tallest buildings in Worcester, Massachusetts List of tallest buildings in Massachusetts, exclusive of Boston
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