Downtown Framingham

Along Routes 9, 126, 135, and other heavily traveled roads in Framingham, signs have been installed. Most have have arrows pointing towards Downtown. As you approach the core of the Downtown Neighborhood, signs showing what appears to be a wheel with six spokes are used to indicate that you were now in Downtown Framingham.

This symbol of the wheel has been used to represent the fact that Framingham has been a regional hub since the days when six railroad lines, (from Boston, Worcester, Fitchburg, Lowell, Woonsocket and Providence RI), converged at the downtown station. An early 1800's railroad poster promoting South Framingham proclaimed, "If Not the Hub of the Universe the Hub of a Territory containing 2,000,000 people within a radius of 30 miles".

In the Town Seal, the wheel is further styled to also signify a water-wheel, such as the one which drove the mills at the Great Falls in Saxonville.

Downtown Defined In 1997 the Framingham Planning Department began work on project titled "Downtown Framingham Economic Development Strategic Plan".   One of the first steps in this plan was to answer the question, "Where is Downtown Framingham?"   [ more... ]

Survey on Downtown Framingham To develop a strategic plan to revitalize the downtown a survey was taken to find out what residents and visitors thought about the downtown shopping area and what improvements should be made. (1997) [ Results of Survey ]