Framingham History Center

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Framingham History Center Our permanent exhibition, "Framingham's Top 10", is available by appointment only.

The Framingham History Center is a non-profit 501c3 organization whose mission is to preserve and share Framingham's history in order to create connection in the community. The Framingham History Center consists of three buildings:
- The Old Academy Building, at 16 Vernon Street, houses a research library and is presently not open by appointment.

- Edgell Memorial Library, at 3 Oak Street, is a memorial building to Framingham's Civil War veterans, and showcases our revolving exhibitions. For more info, visit our website at framinghamhistory.org.

- Village Hall on the Common, at 2 Oak Street, is a beautiful banquet facility available for rental for functions, performances and other meetings.

Stop by this afternoon from 2-4 for FHC Haunted Histories at 3 Oak St! We have games, tricks, treats, and a whole lot of...
10/25/2026

Stop by this afternoon from 2-4 for FHC Haunted Histories at 3 Oak St! We have games, tricks, treats, and a whole lot of Framingham’s Halloween history. Free, open to the public, and suitable for all ages!

: This s***fbox, a small, ornamental container used to store s***f, scented powdered to***co, belonged to Thomas Hastin...
10/23/2026

: This s***fbox, a small, ornamental container used to store s***f, scented powdered to***co, belonged to Thomas Hastings Sr.
Thomas Hastings Sr. was born in Waltham in 1780. He moved to Framingham as a young man and set up a wheelwright shop which he operated for fifty years. At 23, Thomas married Nabby Abbot of Framingham and they had nine sons. Their sons Hollis, Eliphalet, and Otis Fiske set up businesses of their own near Thomas’. The family had a wheelwright shop, a blacksmith’s shop, and a carriage shop on the corner where Concord Street meets Present Day Route 9, a neighborhood aptly named Hastingsville.
The family’s businesses were frequented by local farmers and became a busy centre of commerce in Framingham. In addition to Hastingsville, later renamed Framingham Junction at the turn of the century, Hastings School and Hastings Street are also named after the family.
This s***fbox was donated to the collection in 1888 by Thomas’ son Otis Fiske who worked as a wheelwright in his father’s shop. Thomas Hastings Sr. died in 1864, but his house still stands today at 1 Old Connecticut Path.
FHC Collection 44/1888.44

We hope to see you Sunday at Haunted Histories in Edgell Memorial Library from 2-4. Join us for games, stories, history,...
10/21/2026

We hope to see you Sunday at Haunted Histories in Edgell Memorial Library from 2-4. Join us for games, stories, history, and mysterious encounters for the curious…
Free, open to the public, and suitable for all ages!

Happy Birthday to Alexander Rice Esty, who was born in Framingham 200 years ago on October 18, 1826. He was an influenti...
10/18/2026

Happy Birthday to Alexander Rice Esty, who was born in Framingham 200 years ago on October 18, 1826. He was an influential architect throughout New England, known for the Gothic Revival style.

Among his designs are the South Framingham Baptist church (built in 1855, later known as Park Street Baptist Church), the two-story normal school (two year program teachers’ college which opened 1853), St. John's Episcopal Church (now the Heineman Ecumenical Center at Framingham State University), and mansions for Moses Ellis and William Mellen (the latter’s mansion is now part of the Learning Center for the Deaf). He trained architects W. Frank Hurd and William A. Rice (both of whom are cited in designs for our own Edgell Memorial Library).
FHC Collection 2002.1213.1, 1988.1.17

Join FHC on Sunday, October 25 from 2-4pm at Edgell Memorial Library for our Haunted Histories! The past comes eerily to...
10/16/2026

Join FHC on Sunday, October 25 from 2-4pm at Edgell Memorial Library for our Haunted Histories! The past comes eerily to life with live readings of local tales, costumed re-enactors, family games, and a few mysterious encounters for the curious! Suitable for all ages and all levels of fun!

The of Framingham will hold its first-ever Hispanic & Latino Heritage Month Honors ceremony today at 5:30 in Historic ...
10/14/2026

The of Framingham will hold its first-ever Hispanic & Latino Heritage Month Honors ceremony today at 5:30 in Historic Nevins Hall in the Memorial Building. FHC is extremely proud of and grateful to the many honorees who have made history happen in our community. We have to give a special shoutout to Mauricio Perea, an FHC board member.
The ceremony will recognize a dozen individuals whose leadership, service, accomplishments, and contributions have helped strengthen the Framingham community.
The honorees, listed alphabetically by last name, are:
Jesus Addarich
Gladys Calder
Lino Covarrubias
Victor Diaz
Jennifer De Leon
Phillip Gonzalez
Jose Lopez deVictoria
Mauricio Perea
Ricardo Robles
Pablah Schwartz
Samela St-Pierre
Tatiana Vasconcellos
The City invites residents and community members to attend the inaugural Hispanic & Latino Heritage Month Honors ceremony and join in celebrating the honorees and the rich history, culture, and contributions of Framingham’s Hispanic and Latino community.

Break a leg this weekend to the cast and crew of Framingham High School Drama Company! Framingham has a long history of ...
10/14/2026

Break a leg this weekend to the cast and crew of Framingham High School Drama Company! Framingham has a long history of phenomenal theater, including this costume piece .

Have you ever heard of renowned African-American Harlem Renaissance sculptor Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller?

Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller was born in Philadelphia in 1877. Exposed to the arts from a young age, Meta was offered a prestigious three year scholarship to the Pennsylvania Museum School of Industrial Art. She then went on to complete two years of postgraduate study in Paris starting in 1899, where she met and became close friends with famous African American activist and sociologist W.E.B. Du Bois.

Following her return from Paris, Meta exhibited her work at prestigious institutions like the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and accepted a US government commission for the Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition, earning national prestige.

By the 1920s, Meta met and married Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller, a psychiatrist known for his work on Alzheimer's Disease. They bought a house on Warren Road where they lived with their three children. W.E.B. Du Bois visited this house. Meta became very involved with the Civic League Players, an amateur community theatre group tied to the Framingham Civic League, working on 30 shows in a variety of aspects, including costume design. This jester’s hat was made by Meta, who also helped organize the Framingham Dramatic Society and was very involved with St. Andrew’s Church.

FHC Collection 2024.21.15

Join the City of Framingham and Framingham Centre Common Cultural District this Saturday at 10am on the Centre Common ...
10/08/2026

Join the City of Framingham and Framingham Centre Common Cultural District this Saturday at 10am on the Centre Common to honor Nick Paganella. Nick is a distinguished and valued member of the Framingham community, through both his longtime Veterans advocacy and his civil service. The triangular parcel of land north of the Common will now be known as the Nick Paganella corner.

Address

3 Oak Street
Framingham, MA
01701

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

(508) 626-9091

Website

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