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The South Fountain
Historic District is significant as the largest, intact concentration of
high-style late 19th and early 20th century homes in Springfield and as
the embodiment of the growth of the upper middle class and the
prosperity of the industrial and business leaders who populated the
neighborhood. Their economic success, during a period of intense
industrial growth in Springfield, is reflected in the many distinctive
homes in the area. Included are excellent examples of the transitional
Greek Revival-Italianate (353, 357 S. Fountain); Gothic Revival (7,9 W.
Mulberry); Italianate (17-23, 25 W. Mulberry, 402,403,621,1019 S.
Fountain, 803 S. Limestone); Second Empire (611, 702 S. Fountain);
Eastlake porches (712,724,929,1019 S. Fountain 821, 1019 S. Limestone);
Queen Anne (733,800,1015 S. Fountain, 905 S. Limestone); Colonial
Revival (902,1255,1261,1301,1314 S. Fountain); along with a number of
more typical turn of the century housing (side streets between Limestone
and Fountain).
Several handsome
churches, small commercial buildings and a fire station are the only
non-residential buildings which are original to the area. A number of
important business and industry leaders lived along South Fountain
-especially those associated with two of the earliest and most
successful early industries, the James Leffel Co. and Whitely, Fassler &
Kelly (later became the Champion Co.) Warren Leffel, son of the founder
lived at 7O4 and Francis Bookwalter, Vice-President and Treasurer lived
at 611. Amos Whitely. a founder lived at 509, William Whitely at 1103,
Oliver S. Kelly. a founder lived at 403, his son Oliver W. Kelly lived
at 621 and Robert Johnson, Secretary lived at 429. Other important
residents included Andrew Black, a dry goods merchant who built Black’s
Opera House (353 S. Fountain), William Bayley, owner of the William
Bayley Co. (521 S. Fountain), James Johnson Jr., leading attorney and
mayor in 1895 (563 S. Fountain), Hector Urquhart, owner and president of
the Springfield Baking Co. (1025 S. Fountain) and Edward W. Simpson,
Fire Chief from 1885-1904 and owner of Simpson Lumber Co. (705 S.
Fountain).
South Fountain was
originally named Market Street. Oliver S. Kelly, one of the earliest
residents of South Fountain was elected mayor in 1887 and during his
term he donated a fountain which was erected in front of the new City
Building on Market Street. The street was renamed Fountain Avenue in
1890.
Citation: Nancy Recchie, "National Register of Historic Places
Inventory - Nomination Form," 1983.
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