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Framingham, Massachusetts

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Framingham is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. As of the 2000 census, the population was 66,910, making it the most populous town in Massachusetts. The 2004 population estimate is 65,598. A charter change to make Framingham a city has been proposed more than once, but was defeated at referendum each time.

The town has twelve public schools (the largest being Framingham High School), two private schools, three parochial schools: St. Tarcicius - K-8, St. Bridget's - K-8, Marian High School - 9-12, one Jewish day school and one charter school, the McAuliffe Regional Charter Public School, named after the astronaut killed in the Challenger disaster; Framingham is also home to the original Sudbury Valley School, a well-known and controversial alternative school.

Framingham is famous for the Framingham Heart Study, as well as for the Dennison Manufacturing Company, which was founded in 1844 as a jewelry and watch box manufacturing company by Aaron Lufkin Dennison, who became the pioneer of the American System of Watch Manufacturing at the nearby Waltham Watch Company. His brother, Eliphalet Whorf Dennison developed the company into a sizable industrial complex, which merged in 1990 into the Avery Dennison Company, with headquarters in Pasadena, California, and active corporate offices in the town. Framingham is also known for the former Framingham Union Hospital, now the MetroWest Medical Center. Teacher Christa McAuliffe was raised in the town and went to Framingham State College. Framingham is home to the corporate headquarters for the Bose Corporation, TJX Companies and Staples, Inc. In addition, the Massachusetts State Police and Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency are headquartered here.

Garden in the Woods, the largest landscaped collection of wildflowers in New England, is located within the town limits.

Pronunciation

The first syllable of the name is pronounced with a long a; that is, the name of the town is pronounced exactly like the two words "framing" and "ham." (pronunciation)

History

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

Framingham was first settled in 1650 and was officially incorporated in 1700 on land formerly known as Danforth's Farms, after landowner Thomas Danforth, of Framlingham, England. Why the "L" was dropped for the new town's name is not known. Crispus Attucks, whose death was made famous in an etching of the Boston Massacre by Paul Revere, was born here. Framingham was also home to Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher in space, who died in the Challenger disaster. During the Post-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 this time consisted of split-level and ranch-styled houses.

Two separate communities

The town of Framingham is frequently seen as two distinct communities, divided by MA Route 9, which passes east-to-west through the middle of the town. South Framingham, located south of Route 9, includes Downtown Framingham, Coburnville, MCI-Framingham (Massachusetts' prison for women), Framingham State College, the Framingham Country Club, and the former General Motors Framingham Assembly plant. North Framingham, located north of Route 9, includes the neighborhoods of Framingham Centre, the Golden Triangle, Nobscot, and Saxonville.

The two sections of the town are rather different. The Downtown Framingham area of South Framingham is home to large Brazilian and Hispanic populations. The downtown area is outdated and has seen little change since the 1950's, although many major renovations and new buildings are planned for the next few years. However, other parts of South Framingham, such as Salem End Rd., are seen by many as the most picturesque in the entire town. North Framingham is noticeably more affluent than South Framingham, and over the years, many have tried to better integrate the two communities into one. From the mid 1960's until the early 1990's, the town operated two independent high schools; Framingham North High School and Framingham South High School. In an attempt to bring the town together, the two schools were combined on the site of Framingham North High School, which was renamed Framingham High School. Meanwhile, the Framingham South High school building was made into a Middle School and was renamed "Fuller Middle School". Yet the town was again divided in 1997, when the town, due to its size was required to implement a second zip code. The existing 01701 zip code was left to North Framingham (which had the main post office), while South Framingham businesses and residents were given the new 01702 zip code.

Perceived divisions between the two continue to this day. In early 2005, many South Framingham town meeting members chose to vote down the proposed replacement of a branch library in North Framingham in the opinion that the Framingham main library, located in South Framingham, is adequate for the town's needs.

Geography

Framingham is located at 42°17′59″N 71°25′35″W / 42.29972°N 71.42639°W / 42.29972; -71.42639Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (42.299795, -71.426627)Template:GR. It is primarily a suburb of the cities of Boston and Worcester, but also has a separate role as the largest of the 9 towns in the MetroWest region. The town is connected to both cities via the Mass Pike (I-90) and Route 9.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 68.5 km² (26.4 mi²). 65.1 km² (25.1 mi²) of it is land and 3.4 km² (1.3 mi²) of it (4.99%) is water.

Framingham is served by the local bus service LIFT. Express bus service is also available to Boston's Logan Airport. Intercity buses operate to Boston, Hartford, Connecticut, and New York City. MBTA commuter rail operates to Boston and Worcester. Amtrak also operates service to Albany, New York, but most rail passengers will find it much easier to take a train to Boston, then take the commuter rail to Framingham.

Many businesses in Framingham's compact downtown are retail stores selling imported clothing, Brazilian (and other imported) food, wood craft supplies, and furniture; there are also a number of restaurants. The downtown area is centered on the "Y"-shaped rotary intersection of Concord St. and Union Ave., called Memorial Square. The town hall building, officially Memorial Hall, is located on the northwest corner of this intersection; it is dedicated to Framingham's war dead.

Framingham Centre is a separate locus of development, located at the northern end of Main St. where it becomes Edgell Rd. Other centers include Nobscot, located at the intersection of Water St. and Edgell Rd., and Saxonville, located where Concord St., Water St., and Central St. intersect.

Another center of development is the "Golden Triangle", bordered by Route 9, Speen Street in Natick, and Route 30. This is the heart of the Framingham retail area, which includes the Framingham Mall, Shoppers World, and many other stores in strip malls.

Parks

  • Butterworth Park is a park located at the corner of Grant St and Arthur St. The park occupies a square block near downtown. The park has a baseball field, bleachers, and a restroom. There is street parking available on three sides.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 66,910 people, 26,153 households, and 16,573 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,028.4/km² (2,663.6/mi²). There were 26,734 housing units at an average density of 410.9/km² (1,064.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 79.77% White, 5.09% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 5.27% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 6.27% from other races, and 3.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.86% of the population. Brazilians also have a major presence in Framingham. Documented results state that the number of Brazilians in Framingham is 10,000 but other results claim as high as 30,000 due to the many undocumented residents.

There were 26,153 households out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the town the population was spread out with 21.4% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 34.5% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $54,288, and the median income for a family was $67,420. Males had a median income of $46,122 versus $35,941 for females. The per capita income for the town was $27,758. About 8.0% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.

Notable Residents (Past and Present) of Framingham

File:ChristaMcAuliffe.jpeg
Christa McAuliffe, the planned first teacher in space, grew up in the town of Framingham.

Framingham is mentioned for having a Carvel factory in the episode titled "Da Boom" of Family Guy, though such does not actually exist (the town does have a Breyers, formerly Sealtest, ice cream plant, in the northeastern section adjoining the Mass Pike), and had been mentioned several times on Saturday Night Live both as a place name and as character names.

An earlier reference in the 1990s edition of the Wonder Woman comic books had Steve Trevor living in Framingham while being stationed at Hanscom Air Force Base.

References

  • ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Marquis Who's Who. 1967.

    • Template:Mapit-US-cityscale

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