West Springfield

Town in Hampden County, southwest Massachusetts; population (2000 est) 27,900. It is situated on the Westfield and Connecticut rivers, opposite Springfield. Industries have included railway car and automobile repair and parts manufacturing, bookbinding, and the making of machines, tools, chemicals, and paper. It was incorporated in 1774.

The land used for the present town's site was purchased from the local Algonquian-speaking American Indians by a group led by English trader and colonist William Pynchon. It was originally called Agawam and was renamed West Springfield when it was incorporated. The town common was a campground for Revolutionary armies, and a drillground for farmers in Shays's Rebellion, led by the political agitator Daniel Shay.

Features include the Josiah Day House (1754), the oldest brick saltbox house in the USA, and the Morgan House (1789), a specific type of house developed in the town. The town hosts the annual Eastern States Exposition, the largest state fair in the USA, and the Eastern States Horse Show.

West Springfield

Town in Fairfax County, northeast Virginia; population (1990) 28,100. It lies to the southwest of Springfield, and is 19 km/12 mi southwest of Washington, DC. It is a residential suburb.