The Milton-Bradley Company is a historic former factory complex at Park, Cross, and Willow Streets in
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ...
. The factory was built beginning in about 1880, and expanded over the next decades to include a variety of brick multi-story buildings that are relatively utilitarian in appearance. When built, the property belonged to George Tapley, a principal in the Taylor and Tapley Manufacturing Company and a childhood friend of
Milton Bradley. Bradley had entered the toy business in the 1860s, and moved his company to Tapley's premises in 1882.
left, The building depicted in a 1910s postcard
The success of
his eponymous company led to a significant expansion of the premises, which eventually came to occupy an entire city block. The facilities were used in all aspects of toy and game manufacturing, including a lithographic print shop.
The company moved its manufacturing to suburban
East Longmeadow
East Longmeadow is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States situated in the Pioneer Valley region of Western Massachusetts. It had a population of 16,430 at the 2020 census. East Longmeadow is southeast of downtown Springfield, par ...
in the 1960s, and the complex was converted into residential housing in the late 1970s.
It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1983, one year before Milton Bradley was taken over by
Hasbro.
The complex is located just south of downtown Springfield, and is a roughly U-shaped collection of buildings, bounded on the south by Park Street, the west by Willow Street, and the north by a continuation of Cross Street. The buildings are all of brick construction, and range in height from two to six stories. Elements of architectural interest include windows set in segmented-arch openings with brick corbelling, corner quoining, and parapets at the rooftops.
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See also
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* National Register of Historic Places listings in Hampden County, Massachusetts
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Milton-Bradley Company (Building)
Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Industrial buildings completed in 1880
National Register of Historic Places in Springfield, Massachusetts
1880 establishments in Massachusetts
