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Historic District Commission
Framingham’s Historic District Commission (HDC) is an appointed board of residents that oversees the preservation and stewardship of buildings in the city’s designated Local Historic Districts. The HDC reviews proposed changes to designated properties and works with property owners to balance the needs of modern living with the historic integrity of their buildings and surrounding neighborhood contexts.
Historic Districts
Local historic districts in Massachusetts have three main purposes:
- To preserve and protect the distinctive characteristics of buildings and places significant to the history of the Commonwealth’s cities and towns.
- To maintain and improve the settings of those buildings and places.
- To encourage compatibility with existing buildings when new buildings are planned in the districts.
The purpose of a local Historic District Commission (HDC) is not to halt growth, but to allow for thoughtful consideration of change.
Framingham voted at its 1978 Annual Town Meeting to protect the Framingham Centre Common area and establish a local historic district for the area pursuant to MGL Chapter 40C. The Centre Common Historic District has been expanded since then, most recently in 2015. The Jonathan Maynard Historic District was established at 1994 Annual Town Meeting’ the single-property Sarah Clayes House Historic District at 2008 Annual Town Meeting; and two single-property districts were established at 2016 Fall Special Town Meeting, the Pike-Haven-Foster House Historic District and the H.H. Richardson Depot Historic District.
PURVIEW & PROCESS
The HDC has purview over any changes to the exterior of a designated building that is visible from a public way. Such modifications require application to the HDC for a Certificate of Appropriateness, and an approved Certificate is necessary before beginning work. If the work is regular maintenance that maintains the design, materials, and finish of an element, a certificate is not necessary. The City’s Preservation staff can advise property owners about how to distinguish between projects that required HDC review. Email them at: HistoricPreservation@framinghamma.gov or call: 508-532-5455
As property owners contemplate changes to their buildings, the following guidelines can be a helpful reference for evaluating specific elements, materials, circumstances, and approaches.
( Link to Guidelines).
Once a project is ready for review, owners should file an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness with the City’s Planning and Community Development Department.
The HDC meets monthly on the second Tuesday of the month. Agendas for each meeting close several weeks in advance, so applicants should plan to submit their application and supporting documentation in enough time to afford proper review.
A brochure summarizing the HDC process can be found here Version Options Historic District Commission Headline.
MEETING SCHEDULE & Members
Meeting Date |
Applications Due |
Notes |
---|---|---|
January 3 |
December 15, 2022 |
N/A |
February 14 |
January 12 |
N/A |
March 14 |
February 9 | N/A |
April 11 |
March 16 |
N/A |
May 9 |
April 13 |
N/A |
June 13 |
May 11 |
N/A |
July 11 |
June 15 |
N/A |
August 8 |
July 13 |
N/A |
September 12 |
August 24 |
N/A |
October 10 |
September 14 |
N/A |
November 14 |
October 12 |
|
December 12 |
November 16 | N/A |
Amy Finstein | Chair- Architectural Historian |
Andrew Mackin | Vice Chair |
Vacant | |
Susan Bernstein | Member - Realtor |
Henry Field | Member - Attorney |
Kenneth Nowell | Member - At-large |
James Kubat | Member - At-large |
Paul Charboneau | Member |
Edward Grenham | Alternate |
Paul Silva | Alternate |
Vacant |
Monthly Meetings
When/Where
Meetings are generally the first Tuesday of the month at 7:30 pm via Zoom until further notice
Hearing schedules can vary. Please confirm with City Clerk (508-532-5520) or check the Meeting Portal for Agendas and Minutes.
Property | Address | Date |
---|---|---|
Framingham Centre Common |
N/A | 1735 |
The Brandolini House | 2 Auburn Street | 1955 |
The Stone Gardner's Cottage | 4 Auburn Street | 1850 |
Office Building | 5 Auburn Street | 1970 |
The Whitney-Wiggins House | 10 Auburn Street | 1826 |
The General George Henry Gordon House | 936 Central Street | 1850 |
Office/Bank Building | 35 Edgell Road | 1969 |
The Framingham Bank | 39 Edgell Road | 1833 |
The Grossman House | 61 Edgell Road | 1960 |
The O'Brien House | 63 Edgell Road | 1961 |
The Jason Hall House | 65 Edgell Road | 1850 |
The Otis Boynton House | 85 Edgell Road | 1825 |
Plymouth Church | 87 Edgell Road | 1968 |
The E. Cloyes House | 121 Edgell Road | 1836 |
The George A. Weeks House | 122 Edgell Road | 1865 |
The Charles Train House (Plymouth Parsonage) | 125 Edgell Road | 1836 |
The Daniel Hemenway House | 151 Edgell Road | 1800 |
The Rinaldo House | 31 Grove Street | 1970 |
The Mrs. Gordon House | 33 Grove Street | 1810 |
Lothrop Wight House | 8 Library Street | 1860 |
John and Sarah Clark House | 12 Library Street | 1860 |
Village Hall | 2 Oak Street | 1834 |
Edgell Memorial Library | 3 Oak Street | 1872 |
Civil War Monument | 3 Oak Street | 1872 |
Tilton-Wheeler Store | 1 Vernon Street | 1830 |
Harriet Carter House | 3 Vernon Street | 1853 |
Julia Wight House | 5 Vernon Street | 1860 |
The Edgar Wheeler House | 6 Vernon Street | 1850 |
The Clark Builders Trust House | 8 Vernon Street | 1969 |
Caroline B. Clark House | 9 Vernon Street | 1852-1853 |
The Jonathan Maynard Building | 12 Vernon Street | 1916 |
Framingham Academy | 14 Vernon Street | 1837 |
The Capt. Eliphalet Wheeler House | 18 Vernon Street | 1818 |
The Train-Vernon House | 20 Vernon Street | 1848 |
First Parish Church | 24 Vernon Street | 1926 |
First Parish House | 24 Vernon Street | 1959 |
The J. J. Marshall House | 3 Warren Place | 1800 |
The Tarbox House | 4 Warren Place | 1836 |
The Stalker House | 8 Warren Place | 1768 |
The John Mann House | 11 Warren Place | 1867 |
Wight-Esty Block | 931-937 Worcester Road | 1832-1850 |
Van Duzer Hardware Company Block | 939 Worcester Road | 1935 |
Property | Address | Date |
---|---|---|
The Worsfold House | 2 Aspen Circle | 1986 |
The Pearson House | 153 Maynard Road | 1984 |
The Rader House | 155 Maynard Road | 1984 |
The "Little Maynard" House | 198 Maynard Road | 1909 |
The George Phipps House | 41 Pleasant Street | 1817 |
The Mancall House | 45 Pleasant Street | 1994 |
The Pearl House | 47 Pleasant Street | 1994 |
The William T. Buckminster House | 48 Pleasant Street | 1799 |
The Devlin House | 49 Pleasant Street | 1994 |
The Thompson House | 51 Pleasant Street | 1994 |
The Brostrom House | 55 Pleasant Street | 1994 |
Vacant lot | 56 Pleasant Street | |
The Dr. John Osgood House | 64 Pleasant Street | 1832 |
The Cyrus Blake House | 79 Pleasant Street | 1832 |
The Ira Mitchell House | 89 Pleasant Street | 1842 |
The Marion Adams House | 100 Pleasant Street | 1890 |
The Dexter Esty House | 108 Pleasant Street | 1832 |
The Blanch Partridge House | 111 Pleasant Street | 1917 |
The Jonathan Maynard House | 113 Pleasant Street | 1760 |
The Henry Orne Stone House | 120 Pleasant Street | 1840 |
The Judge Blodgett House | 129 Pleasant Street | 1915 |
The Kelly House | 130 Pleasant Street | 1915 |
The Jesse Belknap House | 138 Pleasant Street | 1832 |
The Ntasios House | 139 Pleasant Street | 1974 |
The Mahamor House | 149 Pleasant Street | 1995 |
The Rev. L. R. Eastman House | 154 Pleasant Street | 1850 |
The Roessler House | 159 Pleasant Street | 1994 |
The Orourke House | 165 Pleasant Street | 1994 |
The H. Twombly House | 169 Pleasant Street | 1799 |
The Obed Winter House | 176 Pleasant Street | 1850 |
The Wagner House | 179 Pleasant Street | 1994 |
The Davis House | 187 Pleasant Street | 1872 |
The Burke House | 198 Pleasant Street | 1955 |
The Jacob B. Winchester House | 200 Pleasant Street | 1832 |
The George Newell House | 201 Pleasant Street | 1832 |
Vacant lot | 204 Pleasant Street | |
Vacant lot | 205 Pleasant Street | |
The J. J. Valentine House | 208 Pleasant Street | 1840 |
The G. R. Brown House | 216 Pleasant Street | 1851 |
First Baptist Church | 1013 Worcester Road | 1826 |
Property | Address | Date |
---|---|---|
Pike- Haven- Foster House | 161 Belknap Road | c. 1697 |
The Sarah Clayes House | 657 Salem End Road | c. 1693 |
H. H. Richardson Depot | 417 Waverly Street | c. 1884 |
John Hemenway House | 613 Pleasant Street | c. 1780 |
For more detailed information on individual properties, you can search the Massachusetts Historic Commission's MACRIS database of cultural resources.
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Yvonne Johnson
Associate Planner
-
Planning & Community Development
Physical Address
150 Concord Street
Room 121
Framingham, MA 01702
Phone: 508-532-5455
HOURS OF OPERATION:
MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY
8:30 am - 5 pm
TUESDAY
8:30 am - 7 pm
FRIDAY
8:30 am - 12:30 pm