The Quadrangle
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- For the region in Antarctica, see The Quadrangle (Antarctica).
The Quadrangle is the heart of the city of Springfield, Massachusetts' cultural community. Four museums, the city's central library, and the National Dr. Seuss Memorial are all located facing a small park at the corner of State and Chestnut Streets, on the edge of city's downtown district. The corner is distinguished by "The Puritan," a statue which depicts one of the city's founders Deacon Samuel Chapin. Also located on that edge of the Quadrangle is the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts' Christ Church Cathedral. The Roman Catholic St. Michael's Cathedral adjoins the Library at the southeast corner of the Quadrangle.
The Central Library, constructed in 1913, was paid for by Andrew Carnegie. It is the second library to be built at that location. The nonfiction department is based in Rice Hall, consisting of a main floor and mezzanine. Opposite Rice Hall is the Arts and Music Hall, where multimedia, periodicals, and the computer lab are based. The circulation desk lies in the impressive rotunda, between the two halls. Fiction, children's literature, and community rooms are in the basement. The Central Library was a source of controversy when, after a city takeover of the libraries from the nonprofit Springfield Library and Museum Association, the Association declared intention to evict the library after its lease expired. However, these proved only to be rumors and the Association stated that it only could use the library if it were to move. A series of such escalating threats over facilities' control were exchanged between the city and the SLMA at the end of Michael Albano's tenure, and continue to date, including a recent lawsuit, directed by the current mayor, Charles Ryan against the SLMA.The Central Library also has a Teen Advisory Board - a grouping of teenagers who help make decisions and organize events at the library geared towards teenagers.
The Quadrangle features two art museums, a local history museum, and a science museum. The Museum of Fine Arts features mostly American and European works including those of Massachusetts native John Singleton Copley. Works by Degas, Monet, and others can be found in the European collection. The Museum features many interactive exhibits as well. The George Walter Vincent Smith Museum is the oldest museum on the Quadrangle. The museum is named for the collection's original owner. Its exhibits express the taste of Smith and his wife, Belle. The collection includes Japanese Samurai armor, Middle Eastern rugs, ceramics, and an authentic Shinto shrine. The basement level features a school which teaches classes in art, science, and history.
The Connecticut Valley Historical Museum offers exhibits detailing the history of the Pioneer Valley from 1636 up to the present. Antique automobiles and firearms showcase the city's industrial past. The museum also has its own library filled with historical paper and documents including genealogical records. The Science Museum displays elements of natural and physical science from the Eco-Center featuring live animals, to the African Hall, which gives visitors a ground-sky perspective of an eco-system on the Savannah. Dinosaur Hall includes a life-size Tyrannosaurus rex model and skeletons from other dinosaurs. The museum also features a planetarium and earth science exhibits. Some of the exhibits are slightly outdated, but this does not detract from the museum's overall appeal.
The Quadrangle's perimeter was at one time open to vehicles, but was closed off becoming a pedestrian only park. Soon after that, the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden was opened. Several statues depicting Dr. Seuss and many of his creations were sculpted and placed on the Quadrangle green. The Quadrangle continues to be one of the reminder's of Springfield's once-vaulted status as a thriving Victorian era city.
