Symbols of Springfield, Massachusetts
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| Use | Civil flag |
|---|---|
| Adopted | 1923 |
| Designed by | Charles H. Restall; original statue by Augustus Saint Gaudens |
| Seal of the City of Springfield, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
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| Details | |
| Armiger | City of Springfield |
| Adopted | c. 1871 |
| Crest | Arsenal building of the Springfield Armory, facing from the opposite side of the tower |
| Escutcheon | Clockwise from top: The first Springfield Union Station with a train crossing the first North End Bridge; John Pynchon's estate, the "Old Fort"; a riverside scene of the city on the Connecticut River; a double-ended arrow runs across the center of the shield pointing east and west |
| Use | Officiating municipal government documents and signage |
The City of Springfield, Massachusetts has two official symbols, and is also often represented by depictions of the Municipal Group as a de facto emblem of its government.
Adopted in 1923, the municipal flag of Springfield is described by the city's code as follows–
The City adopts by this section a City flag in details as follows:
The Puritan statue in itself could be considered a symbol of Springfield; the flag appears in the city council chambers to the right of a portrait of the same. Because the city code neglects to mention specific standards for the flag's measurements, several variations of both the statue's rendering, as well as differing proportions for the flag have appeared since its adoption, including a gold border outer border not described in the code which can be seen in the examples below.
An early example of the flag, printed in a book on Samuel Chapin's genealogy; note the lack of gold shading on the banner and statue, wider white field and golden fringe.
The flag as it appears in the Massachusetts State House Hall of Flags; containing an unusual rendition of The Puritan statue and bearing a different shield and proportions from the previous example.
The Seal of the City of Springfield was adopted around 1871, under the following ordinance
"No. 29. An Ordinance to Establish a City Seal.
1. Description of the seal.
Whereas the city ordinance describes a seal produced by engraver Richard Paine, the rendition from which the modern depiction is derived from was carved by engraver Thomas Chubbuck. The seal contains a number of scenes of Springfield's historic buildings. In its crest is a picture of the Springfield Armory's arsenal building with the American flag. Below this crest sits a shield with an embellished trim and an arrow running through it from east to west. From the top, clockwise, the first scene shows a train leaving the city's first Union Station, crossing the former North End Bridge over the Connecticut River; the house on the lower right is the "Old Fort", the residence of John Pychon, built on the homestead of his father William Pynchon. Erected in 1660, it was the first brick building in the settlement, and served as a safehouse during the siege on Springfield during King Philip's War, and remained on the corner of what is now Fort Street, presently the Student Prince/Fort Restaurant, until 1831 when it was razed for new construction. The scene on the lower left shows three smaller buildings and two steamboats on river; prior to the construction of Interstate 91, the Connecticut River played a more significant role in the livelihood of the city.
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Wikipedia