Framingham, Massachusetts

Framingham is a town located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 66,910, making it the most populous town in Massachusetts, and at present, the largest town in North America. (A charter change to make Framingham officially a city has been proposed more than once, but was defeated at referendum each time.) The town has two private schools, two parochial schools, one Jewish day school, one charter school, and twelve public schools, the largest being Framingham High School. Framingham is home to the Sudbury Valley School, a well-known democratic school.

Framingham is famous for the Framingham Heart Study at Framingham State College, as well as for the Dennison Manufacturing Company, which was founded in 1844 as a jewellery and watch box manufacturing company by Aaron Lufkin Dennison, who became the pioneer of the American System of Watch Manufacturing at nearby Waltham Watch Company. His brother, Eliphalet Whorf Dennison developed the company into a sizeable 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, and was planned to go into space. Framingham also is the corporate headquarters for the Bose Corporation, TJX Corporation, and Staples, Inc.. In addition, the headquarters of the Massachusetts State Police and Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency are located here.

Framingham is also home to the Garden in the Woods, the largest landscaped collection of wildflowers in New England.

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." (pronounciation (http://hegel.research.att.com/tts/speech/308f91009bac82afb2096e5fb52da567.wav))

History

Framingham was first settled in 1650 and was officially incorporated in 1700 on land formerly known as Danforth's Farms, after landowner Thomas Danforth who was born in Framlingham, England. Why the "L" was dropped for the new town's name is not known. Framingham was home to Crispus Attucks, whose death was made famous in an etching of the Boston Massacre by Paul Revere. 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 many split-level and ranch styled houses. Framingham is also mentioned for having a Carvel factory in the episode titled "Da Boom" of Family Guy.

Two Separate Communities

The town of Framingham is frequently seen as two independent 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' maximum security prison for women), Framingham State College, the Framingham Country Club, and the former General Motors 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 very divided. 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, however, 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 noticebly more affluent than South Framingham, and over the years, many have tried to better integrate the two communities into one. In 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. Yet the town was again divided in 1997, when the town, due to size was required to impliment a second zip code. The existing 01701 zip code was left to North Framingham, while South Framingham businesses and residents were forced to learn the new 01702 zip code.

The malice between the two continues to this day. In early 2005, many South Framingham town meeting members chose to vote down a new library proposed for North Framingham in the opinion that the Framingham's main library, located in South Framingham, is adequate enough for the town's needs.

Geography

Framingham is located at 42°17'59" North, 71°25'35" West (42.299795, -71.426627)Template:GR. It is primarily a suburban area to the cities of Boston and Worcester. The town is connected to both cities via the Mass Pike (I-90) and Route 9. The region in Greater Boston west of the city that the town is in is called the MetroWest area.

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 is water. The total area is 4.99% water.

Framingham is served by the local bus service LIFT. Bus service is also available to Logan Airport, which is located in East Boston, Massachusetts. Intercity busses operate to Boston, Hartford, Connecticut and New York. 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 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 Center is a separate locus of development, located at the northern end of Union Ave. where it intersects Main St. 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 popular area is the Golden Triangle. This is the area in the shape of a triangle which borders are Route 9, Speen Street in Natick, and Route 30. This is the heart of the Framingham retail area, which includes the Framingham Mall, Shopper's World, and many other stores in strip malls.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 66,910 people, 26,153 households, and 16,581 families residing in the town. The population density is 1,028.4/km² (2,663.6/mi²). There are 26,734 housing units at an average density of 410.9/km² (1,064.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 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. 10.86% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

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

In the town the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $54,288, and the median income for a family is $67,420. Males have a median income of $46,122 versus $35,941 for females. The per capita income for the town is $27,758. 8.0% of the population and 6.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 11.4% of those under the age of 18 and 6.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

External links

• Framingham Official Website (http://www.framinghamma.org/)
• Framingham Website (http://www.Framingham.com)
• Framingham Heart Study (http://www.framingham.com/heart/)
• Framingham State College (http://www.framingham.edu/)
• Framingham Retail (http://users.rcn.com/encarta95/stores/)

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