Framingham, Massachusetts

"Framingham" redirects here. For the villages in Norfolk county, England, UK, seeFramingham PigotandFramingham Earl.

Framingham
City
Left-right from top: Memorial Hall inConcord Square Historic District,Framingham Common,Framingham State University,Callahan State Park
Seal
Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts
Framingham Location in Massachusetts Framingham Location in the United States
Coordinates:42°16′45″N71°25′00″W
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Middlesex
Region	New England
Settled	1650
Incorporated(town)	June 25, 1700
Incorporated(city)	January 1, 2018
Government
• Type	City
•Mayor	Charlie Sisitsky
•City council	Phillip Ottaviani, Chair Tracey Bryant, Vice-Chair George King Janet Leombruno Christine Long Brandon Ward Adam Steiner Michael Cannon Noval Alexander Leora Mallach Leslie White Harvey
Area
• Total	26.50 sq mi (68.65 km2)
• Land	25.04 sq mi (64.86 km2)
• Water	1.46 sq mi (3.78 km2)
Elevation	165 ft (50 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	72,362
• Density	2,889.39/sq mi (1,115.61/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5(Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4(Eastern)
ZIP Codes	01701 and 01702
Area code	508/774
FIPS code	25-24960
GNISfeature ID	0618224
Website	www.framinghamma.gov

Framingham(/ˈfreɪmɪŋhæm/) is acityin theCommonwealthofMassachusetts,United States. Incorporated in 1700, it is located inMiddlesex Countyand theMetroWestsubregion of theGreater Bostonmetropolitan area. The city proper covers 25 square miles (65 km²) with a population of 72,362 in2020,making it the 14th most populousmunicipalityin Massachusetts.Residents voted in favor of adopting a charter to transition from arepresentative town meetingsystem to amayor–council governmentin April 2017, and the municipality transitioned to city status on January 1, 2018. Before it transitioned, it had been the largest town by population in Massachusetts.

The city has one of the largestBrazilian Americanpopulations in the United States, with a considerable Brazilian presence since the 1980s.

History

See also:Historic places in Framingham, Massachusetts

Prior toEuropean colonization,the region around Framingham was inhabited by theindigenousNipmuc.They lived in settlements established alongside the Washakamaug ( "eel fishing place" ) or what is today called Farm Pond. The Nipmuc people used game management techniques through the hunting of deer and beaver, fishing in ponds and streams, as well as established growing areas for theThree Sisters(squash, corn, beans) in the nearby hills. The ancient Native trail later known as theOld Connecticut Pathalso ran through this area. During the initial period of colonization of the region by Puritan settlers, the Nipmuc suffered a rapid decline in population due to the introduction of foreign infectious diseases to which they had no immunity and violence related to settler colonialism. Many of the Nipmuc people were forced into praying towns including nearby Natick.

The first European settler in the area was John Stone who established a farm on the west bank of theSudbury Riverin 1647. In 1660,Thomas Danforth,an official of the Bay Colony received a grant of land at "Danforth's Farms" and began to accumulate over 15,000 acres (100 km²).

Between 1675 and 1676,King Philip's Warcreated great tensions between English settlers and the Nipmuc people in the area. During this time, Nipmuc leaderTantamous,who lived onNobscot Hilland who resistedChristianizationby the English, was arrested with his family members and other Nipmuc men by the colonial government in 1676 for what the colony deemed treason and they were incarcerated onDeer Island.He would escape, be recaptured, and later hung on Boston Common.In January 1676, a group of Nipmuc men went to the Eames family homestead to demand that they return a stolen corn harvest. Although the historical record is unclear as to the exact details, this would result in an outbreak of violence between the Nipmuc men and the Eames family, where Mary Eames and five children were killed.

As more settlers moved to the town, it would be namedFramlinghamafter Thomas Danforth's hometown in England. Over time, Thomas Danforth strenuously resisted petitions for incorporation of the town, which was officially incorporated in 1700, following his death the previous year. Why the "L" was dropped from the new town's name is not known. The first church was organized in 1701, the first teacher was hired in 1706, and the first permanent schoolhouse was built in 1716.

On February 22, 1775, the British generalThomas Gagesent two officers and an enlisted man out of Boston to survey the route toWorcester, Massachusetts.In Framingham, those spies stopped at Buckminster's Tavern. They watched the town militia muster outside the building, impressed with the men's numbers but not their discipline. Though "the whole company" came into the tavern after their drill, the officers remained undetected and continued on their mission the next day.Gage did not order a march along that route, instead ordering troops toConcord, Massachusetts,on April 18–19. Framingham sent two militia companies totaling about 130 men into theBattles of Lexington and Concordthat followed; one of those men was wounded.

In the years before theAmerican Civil War,Framingham was an annual gathering-spot for members of theabolitionistmovement. EachIndependence Dayfrom 1854 to 1865, the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society held a rally in a picnic area called Harmony Grove on Farm Pond near what is now downtown Framingham. At the 1854 rally,William Lloyd Garrisonburned copies of theFugitive Slave Lawof 1850, judicial decisions enforcing it, and theUnited States Constitution.Other prominent abolitionists present that day includedWilliam Cooper Nell,Sojourner Truth,Wendell Phillips,Lucy Stone,andHenry David Thoreau.

During thepost-World War II baby boom,Framingham, like many other suburban areas, experienced a large increase in population and housing. Much of the housing constructed during that time consisted ofsplit-leveland ranch-style houses.

Framingham is known for theFramingham Heart Study,as well as for the Dennison Manufacturing Company, which was founded in 1844 as a jewelry and watch box manufacturing company byAaron Lufkin Dennison,who became the pioneer of theAmerican System of Watch Manufacturingat the nearbyWaltham Watch Company.His brother Eliphalet Whorf Dennison developed the company into a sizable industrial complex which merged in 1990 intoAvery Dennison,with headquarters inPasadena, California,and active corporate offices in the town.

In 2000, Framingham celebrated itsTercentennial.Framingham soon rose to become the largest town in Massachusetts, commonly referred to by the people of Framingham as "The largest town in the country." Framingham had attempted to become a city on three prior occasions 1993, 1997, and 2013, all of which were rejected by the people of Framingham.However, on January 1, 2018, Framingham became a city andYvonne M. Spicerwas inaugurated as its first mayor, thus becoming the first popularly elected African-American female mayor in Massachusetts.

Geography

According to theUnited States Census Bureau,the city has an area of 26.4 square miles (68.5 km²), of which 25.1 square miles (65.1 km²) is land and 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²) (4.99%) is water.

Demographics

See also:List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1850	4,252	—
1860	4,227	−0.6%
1870	4,968	+17.5%
1880	6,235	+25.5%
1890	9,239	+48.2%
1900	11,302	+22.3%
1910	12,948	+14.6%
1920	17,033	+31.5%
1930	22,210	+30.4%
1940	23,214	+4.5%
1950	28,086	+21.0%
1960	44,526	+58.5%
1970	64,048	+43.8%
1980	65,113	+1.7%
1990	64,989	−0.2%
2000	66,910	+3.0%
2010	68,318	+2.1%
2020	72,362	+5.9%
2023	71,875	−0.7%
Source:United States censusrecords andPopulation Estimates Programdata. Source: U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2010,there were 68,318 people, 26,173 households, and 16,535 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,732.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,055.1/km²). There were 27,529 housing units, of which 1,356, or 4.9%, were vacant. The racial makeup of the city was 71.9%White,5.8%Black,0.3%Native American,6.3%Asian,0.1%Pacific Islander,10.9% fromsome other race,and 4.6% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 13.4% of the population (4.7%Puerto Rican,1.8%Guatemalan,1.5%Salvadoran,1.1%Dominican,0.9%Mexican,0.6%Colombian,0.3%Peruvian). (Source: 2010 Census Quickfacts)

Of the 26,173 households, 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were headed by married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47, and the average family size was 3.03.

As of 2010, 20.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.8% were from 18 to 24, 30.0% were from 25 to 44, 25.8% were from 45 to 64, and 13.6% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.

In 2017, the estimated median income for a household in the city was $84,050, and the median income for a family was $101,078. Male full-time workers had a median income of $61,659, versus $54,714 for females. The per capita income for the city was $38,917. About 7.5% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.7% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.

Brazilianimmigrants have a major presence in Framingham.Since the 1980s, a large segment of the Brazilian population has come from the single city ofGovernador Valadares.

Government and politics

Framingham's Home Rule Charter was approved by voters on April 4, 2017, and took effect on January 1, 2018.On that date,Yvonne M. Spicerwas inaugurated as Framingham's first mayor.

Elections are held in November of odd-numbered years, to elect a full-time mayor serving a four-year term, and an 11-member city council comprising nine district members serving two-year terms, and two at-large members serving four-year terms. The mayor replaced the Board of Selectmen as the chief executive, and the City Council replaced Representative Town Meeting as the legislative body. The mayor and at-large-councilors are limited to a maximum of three consecutive terms in office and district councilors are limited to six consecutive terms in office.

The School Committee has ten members: one elected from each of the nine districts, serving two-year terms, and the mayor, who serves as a tenth member and may only vote to break a tie.

The Board of Library Trustees and the Board of Cemetery Trustees have also elected positions serving for four-year terms, with half the membership elected at alternating municipal elections.

The Charter provides for an automatic review of the Charter five years after its adoption and periodically thereafter.

The city maintains a police department.

Education

Main article:Education in Framingham, Massachusetts

The Framingham School Department can trace its roots back to 1706, when the town hired its firstschoolmaster,Deacon Joshua Hemenway. Although Framingham had its first schoolmaster, it did not get its own public school building until 1716. The first high school, the Framingham Academy, opened its doors in 1792; however, this school was eventually closed due to financing issues and the legality of the town providing funds for a private school. The first town-operated high school opened in 1852, and has been in operation continuously in numerous locations throughout the town.

Framingham has 14 public schools which are part of the Framingham Public School District.These includeFramingham High School,three middle schools (Walsh, Fuller, and Cameron), nine elementary schools (Barbieri, Brophy, Dunning, Hemenway, King, McCarthy, Potter Road, Stapleton, Harmony Grove), and the Blocks Pre-School.The school district's main offices are located in the Fuller Administration Building on Flagg Drivewith additional offices at the King School on Water Street. The city also has a regionalvocational high schooland one regionalcharter school.Framingham is also home to several private schools, including Summit Montessori School, theSudbury Valley School,oneparochial school,oneJewishday school, and several specialty schools.

Since 1998, when Framingham began upgrading its schools, it has performed major renovations to Cameron, Wilson, McCarthy, Fuller andFramingham High School.Two public school buildings that were mothballed due to financial issues or population drops have been leased to the Metrowest Jewish Day School (at the former Juniper Hill Elementary) and Mass Bay Community College (at the former Farley Middle school). Several schools that were no longer being used were sold off, including Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Washington.

Framingham has three colleges, includingFramingham State UniversityandMassachusetts Bay Community College's Framingham Campus.

Transportation

Framingham is approximately halfway between Worcester, the commercial center of Central Massachusetts, and Boston, New England's leading port and metropolitan area. Rail and highway facilities connect these major centers and other communities in the Greater Boston Metropolitan Area.

Air

The closest airport with scheduled international passenger traffic isBoston's Logan International Airport,25 miles (40 km) from Framingham.Worcester Regional Airport,about 27 miles (43 km) away, began scheduled flights toFort LauderdaleandOrlandoin November 2013.

Major highways

Framingham is served by oneInterstateand fourstate highways:

Route number	Type	Local name	Direction
Interstate 90	Interstate,limited accesstoll road	TheMassachusetts Turnpike(Mass Pike)	east/west
Route 9	State route, divided highway	Worcester Rd. The Boston/Worcester Turnpike,Ted WilliamsHighway	east/west
Route 30	State route, partial divided highway	Cochituate Rd., Worcester Rd. and Pleasant St.	east/west
Route 126	State route, primary road	Old Connecticut Path, School St, Concord St., and Hollis St.	north/south
Route 135	State route, primary road	Waverly St.	east/west

Mass transit

Rail

• Direct rail service to Chicago via Amtrak'sLake Shore Limited,as well as to all other points on theAmtraknetwork via a connection in another city.
• MBTA commuter rail service is available to South Station and Back Bay Station, Boston, via theMBTA'sFramingham/Worcester Line,which connectsSouth Stationin Boston andUnion Stationin Worcester. Travel time to Back Bay Station is 42–45 minutes. It was called the Framingham Commuter Rail Line, as Framingham was the end of the line, until rail traffic was expanded to Worcester in 1996.The line also servesNewton,Wellesley,Natick, Ashland, Southborough,Westborough,andGrafton.
• CSXprovides freight rail service in Framingham.

Bus

• MassPortoperates theLogan Expressbus service seven days per week providing a direct connection toLogan Airport.The bus terminal and paid parking facility are on theShoppers' World Mallproperty, off the Massachusetts Turnpike exit 13, between Route 9 and Route 30.
• Peter Pan Bus Lines provides service to Worcester, New York, and Boston.
• The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), provides THE RIDE, a paratransit service for the elderly and disabled.
• TheMetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA)operates a regional bus service which provides service to other local routes connecting the various regions of town and fixed route public bus lines servicing multiple communities in theMetroWestregion, including the towns of Ashland,Holliston,Hopkinton,Milford,Marlborough, Sudbury, Sherborn, Natick, andWeston.

Commuter services

Park and rideservices:

• MassDOToperates a free park and ride facility at the parking lot at the intersection of Flutie Pass and East Road on the south side ofShoppers' World Mall.
• MassDOT also operates a free park and ride facility at a parking lot adjacent to exit 12 of the Massachusetts Turnpike, across from California Avenue on the west side of Framingham.

Economy

Framingham's economy is predominantly derived from retail and office complexes. There are scatterings of small manufacturing facilities and commercial services such as plumbing, mechanical and electrical expected to be found in communities of its size. Framingham has three major business districts within the city, The "Golden Triangle", Downtown/South Framingham, and West Framingham. Additionally, there are several smaller business hubs in the villages of Framingham Center, Saxonville, Nobscot, and along the Route 9 corridor.

Golden Triangle

Main article:Golden Triangle (Massachusetts)

The Golden Triangle was originally a three square mile district on the eastern side of Framingham, bordered by Worcester Rd. (Route 9), Cochituate Rd. (Route 30), and Speen Street inNatick.In 1993, the area began to expand beyond the borders of the triangle with construction of aBJ's Wholesale Cluband aSuper Stop & Shopjust north of Route 30.It now includes the original area plus parts of Old Connecticut Path., Concord St. (Route 126), and Speen St. north of Route 30. Because of the size and complexity of this area, Framingham and Natick cooperatively operate it as a single distinct district with similarzoning.The area is one of the largest shopping districts inNew England.

The area was formed with the construction ofShoppers Worldin 1951. Shoppers' World was a large open air shopping mall, the second in the US and the first east of theMississippi River.The mall drew many other retail construction projects to the area, includingMarshalls(1961, rebuilt asBed Bath & Beyond1997),Caldor(1966, Rebuilt asWal-Martin 2002),Bradlees(1960s, rebuilt asKohl'sin 2002),the Route 30 Mall (1970),anAMC Framingham 15,the Framingham Mall (1978, rebuilt 2000),andLowe's(formerly theVerizonBuilding, 2006).Complementary developments in Natick include theNatick Mall(1966, rebuilt in 1991, expanded 2007 & renamed Natick Collection),Sherwood Plaza (1960),Cloverleaf Marketplace (1978),and theHome Depot.In 1994, Shoppers' World was demolished and replaced with a strip mall named Shoppers World.There are also seven hotels and two car dealerships located within the Triangle.

In addition to retail properties, there are large office developments in the area including several companies headquartered in the triangle; the world headquarters ofTJXis at the junction of Route 30 and Speen St,as is the main office ofIDGandIDC.TheAmerican Cancer Societyhas an office in Framingham.ACarlingBrewery began operations in 1956, ending in 1975. Their buildings later housedPrime ComputerandBoston Scientificbefore demolition in 2018 for a newMathWorksfacility.Sealtesthad a manufacturing facility in Framinghamwhich was used byBreyersfrom 1964 to 2011

Downtown and South Framingham

The Memorial Building, Framingham's town hall

Framingham Public Library, Lexington St.

The downtown area is between Memorial Square, formed by the intersection of Concord St. and Union Ave., to the north, and its mirror intersection at the junction of Irving St. and Hollis St. on the south end. The area is bisected by Waverly St. (Route 135) and theMBTACommuter Railtracks. The anchoring structure of Downtown is the city hall, The Memorial Building.From 2015 to 2016, the whole area underwent a multimillion-dollar reconstruction of the intersection of Union Ave. and Concord St. that replaced thetraffic circlewith a signal-controlled intersection. Additional lights were installed at the Irving St./Hollis St. intersection, while older signals in the area were upgraded. All sidewalks in the area were to be replaced, lighting upgraded, and new amenities such as seating and bicycle racks were also installed. The project was scheduled to begin in 2012 but has been delayed to 2014–2015.Further delays pushed the project into 2015 due to needed electrical utility upgrades and replacement.

South Framingham became the commercial center of the town with the advent of the railroad in the 1880s. It eventually came to houseDennison Manufacturingand the formerGeneral MotorsFramingham Assemblyplant, but the area underwent a financial downturn after the closure of these facilities during the late 1980s.An influx ofHispanicand Brazilian immigrants helped to revitalize the district starting in the early 2000s. Along with Brazilian and Spanish oriented retail shops, there are restaurants, legal and financial services, the city offices and library, police headquarters, a performing arts center, and the local branch of theSocial Security Administration.SeveralAsianandIndianstores and restaurants add to the rich ethnic flavor of the area, and many small businesses, restaurants and automotive-oriented shops line Waverly St. from Natick in east to Winter St. in the west.

In 2006, the Fitts Market & Hemenway buildings façades underwent a restoration project; these newly renovated structures received a 2006 Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservation Award in the Restoration and Rehabilitation Category.In addition, several retail and housing projects involving the Arcade Building and the former Dennison Building Complex are in the planning stages or under construction.

West Framingham

The business section on the West Side of Framingham runs primarily along Route 9, starting at Temple St., and is dominated by two large office/industrial parks: the Framingham Industrial Park on the north side of Route 9 and another park on the south side, both on the Framingham/Ashland/Southborough border.Bose,Staplesand Applause have their world headquarters in these parks,as does convenience store chainCumberland Farms;in addition,Netezza,Genzyme,Capital One,CA Technologies,ITT Techand the local paper,The MetroWest Daily News,all have major facilities there. Two of Framingham's seven major auto dealerships are also in West Framingham.

The large tracts of multi-story apartment andcondominiumcomplexes line both sides of Route 9 from Temple St. to the industrial parks. These buildings represent the majority of Framingham's multi-family dwellings, and along with the business complexes, helped create a large network of support services on the West Side: a supermarket,dozens of restaurants and pubs, hotels and a largeday-carefacility all are in the two-mile (3 km) section of Route 9 from Temple St. toAshland.

Villages and Route 9

The Common in Framingham Center

TheFramingham Centre Common Historic Districtis the city's physical and historic center. Formed at the junctions ofWorcester Rd. (Route 9),Pleasant St. (Route 30), High St., Main St. and Edgell Rd.the dominating presence isFramingham State University.The school has several thousand students, about one third of whom live on campus.In the late 1960s,MassHighwayreplaced the intersection with an overpass, depressing Route 9 below the local roads, and destroying the south half of the old Center retail district. The remaining half houses several small stores, restaurants,realtorsand legal offices. The old Boston and Worcester Street Railway depot, on the east side of the center, was converted into a strip mall in the early 1980s and houses the Center Postal Station (01703) and several small stores.The center is rounded out by One and Two Edgell Rd. (two small retail/office buildings), the historicvillage hall,the Jonathan Maynard Building (a former school, now a part of the Framingham State University campus which houses the Danforth Art Museum), the Framingham History Center (formerly the Framingham Historical Society and Museum),several banks, a Chinese restaurant, theAmerican Medical Responseparamedic station and McCarthy Office Building.

The village of Nobscot, at the intersection of Water St., Edmands Rd. and Edgell Rd. nearNobscot Hill,and the Pinefield/Saxonville villages, located where Concord St., Water St., and Central St. intersect,are home to several small office buildings, strip malls and gas stations. in 2016, the town moved its satellite branch of the public library named forChrista McAuliffefrom Saxonville to a new facility across from the Hemenway School in Nobscot.Saxonvilleis the home of the former Roxbury Carpet Company mill complex buildings (originally powered by the adjoiningSudbury River), now an industrial park, and is one of the city's historical districts.

Healthcare

Framingham is served byMetroWest Medical Center(formerly Framingham Union Hospital, which also includes Leonard Morse Hospital campus inNatick)

Media

Newspapers and websites

The City of Framingham is served by:

• Framingham Source,a local news website.
• Framingham Online News, a local news and community information website.
• The MetroWest Daily News,a daily broadsheet.
• The Framingham Tab,a weekly local current events tabloid.
• The Boston Globeprovides a regional edition called Globe West that covers Framingham and theMetroWestarea.
• Boston.com has aYour Townwebsite that covers Framingham.
• A Semana,a weekly, Brazilian-Portuguese language local current events tabloid.
• The Gatepost,a weekly student run newspaper published byFramingham State University.

Television and cable

Framingham has apublic, educational, and government access(PEG) cable TV channel and local origination television station called Access Framingham (formerly FPAC-TV),that airs on Channel 9Comcast,Channel 3RCNand Channel 43Verizon.Residents can create and produce their own television programs that reflect the personality of the community, and have them cablecast on thepublic-access televisioncable TV channels.

Framingham High Schoolhas a student-run television station, FHS-TV, that broadcasts locally; "Flyer News", its morning news program, has won 11 National High School Emmy Awards.

The City of Framingham operates the Government Channel shown on Comcast channel 99, RCN 13/HD613, and Verizon 42. The Government Channel operation provides programming sponsored by or for the City of Framingham. Commission meetings are cablecast live to inform residents and encourage participation in local government. Some of the programming provided, keeps residents abreast of road closings, construction updates, recycling efforts, public safety information, and special events in the community. The Government Channel is committed to making local government more accessible to all residents.

Radio

• WXKS(AM 1200) is anAM broadcastingstation featuringtalk radioand religious programming. Owned byiHeartMediaand licensed toNewton, Massachusettswith studios on 99 Revere Beach Parkway inMedford, Massachusetts;
• WSRO(AM 650) is an AM broadcasting station featuring Portuguese-language programming that leases studio and tower space from WXKS. Owned by the Langer Broadcasting Group, LLC and licensed to Natick, Massachusetts with studios on 100 Mount Wayte Ave in Framingham;
• WQOM(AM 1060) is an AM broadcasting station featuring business talk radio programming that leases studio and tower space from WXKS. Owned by the Langer Broadcasting Group, LLC and licensed to Ashland, Massachusetts with studios on 100 Mount Wayte Ave in Framingham;
• WDJM-FM(91.3 FM) is Framingham State University'sFM broadcastingstation that features an open format withprogressive rock,hip-hop,metal and electronic music. It is owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is licensed to Framingham, Massachusetts with studios at 100 State St. in Framingham;
• Framingham Amateur Radio Associationis the localamateur radioenthusiasts group.

Film

In the spring of 2016, the town of Framingham was one of the settings for the filmPatriots Dayabout theBoston Marathon bombing,starringMark Wahlberg,John Goodman,Kevin Bacon,J.K. Simmons,Michelle Monaghan,Alex Wolff,Melissa Benoistand a cameo appearance by former athleteDavid Ortiz.In spring 2009, Framingham was also used for the filmThe Company Men,starringBen Affleck,Chris Cooper,Kevin Costner,andTommy Lee Jones.

Large parts of the filmDon't Look Up,directed by Worcester, Massachusetts nativeAdam McKayand starring Academy Award winnersJennifer Lawrence,Leonardo DiCaprioandMeryl Streep,were shot in Framingham.

Points of interest

Framingham features dozens of athletic fields and civic facilities spread throughout the city in schools and public parks.Many of the recreational facilities were constructed by theCivilian Conservation Corpsduring theNew Deal.

Culture

• Amazing Things Arts Center
• Buckminster Square- site of the Revolutionary War statue depicting a Blacksmith preparing for the march up Battle Road in 1775.
• Framingham Community Theater
• Framingham History Center(formerly the Framingham Historical Society and Museum)
• Danforth Museum
• Metrowest Youth Symphony Orchestra
• Pike Haven Homesteadwas built in 1693 by Jeremiah Pike. He and his descendants were town and militia officers, yeomen, and makers of spinning wheels in the colonial period. This house had been occupied by the same family for eight generations.

Parks

• Bowditch Fieldis Framingham's main athletic facility. It is on Union Avenue midway between Downtown and Framingham Center and was the main athletic facility for the town. It houses a large multi-purposefootballstadium that included permanentbleacherson both sides of the field. There is still a baseball field, tennis courts, a track and field practice area, and the headquarters of the city Parks Department. Bowditch, along with Butterworth and Winch Parks, were all built during theGreat Depressionof the 1930s asWPAprojects. It underwent a complete renovation/reconstruction in 2010. It is also the current site of Framingham High's graduation ceremony.
• Butterworth Parkis at the corner of Grant St and Arthur St. The park occupies a square block near downtown. The park has a baseball stadium that includes permanent bleachers on one side of the field, a basketball court and a tennis court. There is street parking on three sides. The bleachers have since been taken down.
• Winch Parkis the sister park to Butterworth and is in Saxonville next to the Framingham High School. It includes a baseball stadium that includes permanent bleachers on one side of the field, a basketball court, tennis courts and two large practice fields used for football, soccer andlacrosse.There are two additional multi-use fields on the other side of the high school's gymnasium building.
• Callahan State Parkis a large state park run by the DCR located in North Framingham in the city's northwest corner.
• Cochituate State Parkon Lake Cochituate has a small section in Framingham where Saxonville Beach is on the north western shore of the lake.
• Danforth Parkon Danforth Street, not far from theWaylandtown line. The small park hasplaygroundwith a half basketball court and a small baseball/kickballfield.
• Framingham Commonis in Framingham Center in front of the old Town Hall along Edgell Road and Vernon Street. It features an outdoor stage for concerts and other fair weather events. It is a favorite of the students of Framingham State University, and the site of their annual graduation ceremonies.
• Cushing Parkon the South Side is a passive recreational area. The Framingham Peace and9/11Memorials are within the park across the street from Farm Pond, along with the Cushing Chapel. During World War II, the United States War Department constructed the Cushing General Hospital (named forDr. Harvey Cushing) on this site; the chapel was part of the hospital complex. After theKorean Warthe hospital was sold to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for use as a geriatric hospital. After the hospital was closed in 1991, the land was converted into a 57-acre public park.
• Long Athletic ComplexOn the south side of Framingham, near downtown the complex is the host of three little league baseball diamonds (Carter, Tusconi, Merloni), two Babe Ruth baseball fields (one being Long field), a softball field, outdoor basketball court, and two concession stands. The complex is surrounded by Keefe Tech High School, Loring Arena, and Barbari Elementary School. All of the fields have lights, and they host almost all of Framingham's Little League games. Long field is the host of JV high school games as well as most Framingham Babe Ruth games. The concession stands are both non-profit and all the money goes to the Framingham baseball league.

Conservation land

• Framingham has about 400 acres (1.6 km²) of land that has been placed into public conservation.
  • The Wittenborg Woods was donated to the town in 1999 by Harriet Wittenborg. The properties were originally purchased from Henry Ford in the 1940s. Henry Ford owned all of the land around theWayside Innin nearby Sudbury, and Harriet (and her husband) were required to interview with Mr. Ford to determine if they would be good stewards of the land.
  • The Morency Woods is a parcel of land that is physically located in Natick, Massachusetts on the Framingham border, but which is owned by the City of Framingham. This forested land was used as asewer bedup until the mid-1940s and was placed into conservation in 2001.
• TheSudbury Valley Trusteeshas approximately 200 acres (0.8 km²) of land in North Framingham and along the Sudbury River in a private conservation trust.

Recreation

Garden in the Woods

• Garden in the Woods,operated by theNew England Wild Flower Society,is a botanical garden that features the largest landscaped collection of native wildflowers inNew England.It is in Nobscot, off of Hemenway Road.
• Framingham Country Club,along Salem End Road on the South Side, is a private club that features an 18-hole course with 6,580 yards (6,017 m) of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72.

• Nobscot Scout Reservation is a private facility owned by the Knox Trail Councilof theBoy Scouts of Americaand is open to the public during most of the year.
• The city has several public beaches including Saxonville beach on Lake Cochituate, Washakum Beach on Lake Washakum, and the beach atLearned Pond.
• The former Cushing hospital grounds serve as walking, biking, rollerblading, and picnic areas.
• Farm Pond in South Framingham once used to host Fourth of July Fireworks, now is a picnic area.
• Edward F. Loring Skating Arena,near Farm Pond at the corner of Fountain and Dudley Roads, is a municipal skating arena for area groups on a rental basis and public skating and stick time is available September through April.
• TheCochituate Rail Trailis a 3.7 mile, multi-use trail for walkers, joggers and bikers that runs from the Village ofSaxonvilleinFraminghamtoNatick Center.While the Framingham section opened in 2015, the entire length of the trail opened to the public in 2021.

Notable people

Politics

Crispus Attucks,from Framingham, was the first person to be killed in the fight for American independence.

• Crispus Attucks,killed in theBoston Massacre
• Deborah D. Blumer,Massachusetts State Representative for Framingham (2001–2006)
• Mary Beth Cahill,campaign manager forJohn Kerry's bid for presidency
• Josephine Collins,Suffragist; member of theNational Woman's Party
• Jack Patrick Lewis,Massachusetts State Representative for 7th Middlesex District (2017–present)
• Robert Owens,Massachusetts State Representative and businessman
• Maria Robinson,Massachusetts State Representative for 6th Middlesex District (2019–present)
• Adam Schiff,U.S. Representative for California
• Yvonne M. Spicer,first black Mayor of Framingham and the first African-American woman to be popularly elected mayor in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• Josiah Trowbridge,former mayor ofBuffalo, New York

Sports

David Blatt

• Carmelo Hayes,pro wrestler
• Blake Bellefeuille,NHLforward
• David Blatt(born 1959), Israeli-American basketball player and coach (most recently, for theCleveland Cavaliers)
• R. J. Brewer,pro wrestler
• Ron Burton,formerNFLrunning backfor theBoston Patriots,1960 to 1965
• Carl Corazzini,NHLHockey Player, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers
• Rich Gedman,former Major League Baseballcatcherfor the Boston Red Sox, 1980 to 1990
• Toby Kimball,NBAplayer for theBoston Celtics,San Diego Rockets,Milwaukee Bucks,Kansas City Kings,Philadelphia 76ers,and theNew Orleans Jazz
• C. J. McLaughlin,racing driver
• Lou Merloni,Major League Baseball player for the Boston Red Sox, 1998 to 2003
• Kevin Nee,professional Strongman, youngest man ever to become professional Strongman
• Danny O'Connor,American professional boxer in the Light Welterweight division
• Tal Smith,baseball executive, former General Manager of the Houston Astros
• Mark Sweeney,Major League Baseball player
• Pie Traynor,former Major League Baseball player, now in theMajor League Baseball Hall of Fame

Arts and sciences

• Dave Amato,current guitarist forREO Speedwagon
• Ezra Ames(1768–1836), portrait painter in the 18th–19th centuries
• Anthony Barbieri,comedy writer
• Daniel Belknap(1771–1815), composer
• Michael J. Clouse,songwriter, music producer
• Nancy Dowd,Academy Awardwinning screenwriter forComing Home(1978)
• Alexander Rice Esty(1826–1881), architect
• Ginger Fish,member ofMarilyn Manson
• Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller,pioneering African-American in the field of psychology and Alzheimer's disease
• Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller,prominent African-American sculptor and artist from the 1920s
• Greg F. Gifune,Novelist, Editor, Film Producer, born in Framingham
• Leila Goldkuhl,fashion model
• David Hayes,music director ofThe Philadelphia Singers,Director of Orchestral and Conducting Studies atMannes College The New School for Music
• Esther A. Hopkins,chemist, environmental attorney, and Framingham selectwoman
• Amy Leventer,marine biologist, micropaleontologist, Antarctic researcher
• Og Mandino(1923–1996), author
• Joe Maneri(1927–2009), noted classical composer and jazz improviser
• Christa McAuliffe,teacher,astronautkilled in theChallenger disaster
• Jo Dee Messina,country music singer
• Gordon Mumma,composer
• Michael P. O'Leary,urologist
• Edward Lewis Sturtevant,botanist, scientist, author
• Nancy Travis,actress
• Rob Urbinati,stage director, playwright
• Sir Hubert Wilkins,Australian soldier, pilot, ornithologist, photographer and polar explorer; died in Framingham in 1958

Media

• Tom Caron,New England Sports Networkbaseball analyst
• Katie Nolan,ESPN
• Jordan Rich,WBZ (AM)radio host
• Mike Reiss,ESPN Patriots Analyst

Military

• Richard W. Higgins,pilot in the USAF
• Donald K. Muchow,Chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Navy
• John Nixon,General in theContinental Armyduring theAmerican Revolution
• Peter Salem,Revolutionary War soldier

Religious

• Gerald Fitzgerald,Roman Catholicpriest
• Paul S. Loverde,Retired Roman Catholic bishop of theDiocese of Arlington
• Charles Henry Parkhurst,clergyman and social reformer who brokeBoss Tweed'sTammany HallDemocratic party political machine
• William A. Rice,Roman Catholic bishop in Belize

Sister cities

• Lomonosov, Russia
• Governador Valadares,Brazil

See also

• Places of worship in Framingham, Massachusetts
• List of mill towns in Massachusetts

Further reading

• 1871 Atlas of Massachusetts.by Wall & Gray.Map of Massachusetts.Map of Middlesex County.
• Old USGS maps of Everett.
• Ballard, William,A Sketch of the History of Framingham,published 1827, 71 pages.
• Barry, William,History of Framingham, Massachusetts,published 1847, 456 pages.
• Drake, Samuel Adams (compiler),Volume 1 (A-H),Volume 2 (L-W),published 1879–1880. 572 and 505 pages.Framingham articleby Rev. Josiah Howard Temple in volume 1 pages 435–453.
• Parr, James; Swope, Kevin A.,Framingham Legends & Lore,History Press, 2009.ISBN978-1-59629-565-0

External links

• City government website
• Choose Framingham website(Town information)
• Framingham History Center