[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Framingham as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 1-5-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-006 as Art. VII, Sec. 5, of the General Ordinances]
A. 
There is hereby established under the Historic Districts Act, Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40C, to be governed by and operated in accordance with the provisions relative thereto of the General Laws or any special act or amendment thereto, a Framingham Historic District Commission, consisting of seven members to be appointed by the Mayor, subject to review by the Council, including one member from the Framingham History Center, one architect registered to practice in Massachusetts, one licensed real estate agent, one lawyer, one landowner resident in the historic district and two members at large. There shall be five alternates selected, with backgrounds in any of the five categories specified above or an urban planner, an architectural historian, a landscape architect, a licensed general contractor or building tradesperson or any other citizen who, through education or experience, has demonstrated a commitment to historic preservation. In the event any member shall be absent or unable to act for any reason, the Chair shall designate an alternate member to act.
B. 
Each member or alternate member of said Commission shall be a resident of the City of Framingham, and any such member removing their residence from the City shall be considered thereby to have resigned as a member of the Commission.
[Amended 4-30-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-025]
There are hereby established under the provisions of and in accordance with the Historic Districts Act (MGL c. 40C) the following historic districts:
A. 
The historic district to be known as the "Framingham Centre Common Historic District," bounded and described as shown on the map titled "Framingham Centre Common Historic District" available at the Division of Planning and Community Development.
B. 
The historic district to be known as the "Jonathan Maynard Historic District," bounded and described as shown on the map titled "Jonathan Maynard Historic District" available at the Division of Planning and Community Development.
C. 
The historic districts to be known as the "Sarah Clayes Historic District," the "Pike-Haven-Foster House Historic District" and the "H. H. Richardson Depot Historic District."
D. 
The historic district to be known as the "John Hemenway House Historic District."
The Commission shall have, in addition to the powers and duties of an Historic District Commission as described in Chapter 40C, the following further powers and duties, subject to appropriation or receipt of money gifts, and may in exercise of any of its powers or duties accept and expend such gifts and employ clerical and technical assistants or consultants.
A. 
To propose from time to time, as it deems appropriate, the establishment, in accordance with the provisions of the Historic Districts Act, of additional historic districts and changes in historic districts;
B. 
To cooperate with, consult, and advise the Division of Planning and Community Development, the Redevelopment Authority, and other City agencies and departments in matters involving historic sites, building, and districts; and
[Amended 4-30-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-025]
C. 
To offer assistance and advice to owners of buildings in any historic district on problems of construction, reconstruction, restoration, and preservation.
The Commission shall adopt the rules and regulations for the conduct of its business, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Historic Districts Act. A copy of the rules and regulations and any amendment shall be filed with the City Clerk.
The Commission shall render a decision under the provisions of the Historic Districts Act within 45 days of the filing of an application for a certificate of appropriateness, a certificate of nonapplicability, or a certificate of hardship, or within such further time as the applicant may, in writing, allow.
The Commission shall have no jurisdiction to review the following categories of exterior architectural features:
A. 
Temporary structures erected for a period of 90 days or less;
B. 
Two-dimensional signs of four square feet or less;
C. 
Terraces, walks, driveways, and sidewalks so long as such structure is substantially at grade level;
D. 
Storm doors, storm windows, screens, gutters, antennae, and window air conditioners;
E. 
Color of paint;
F. 
Color of roof materials.
[Amended 1-11-2023 by Order No. 2022-125-001]
A. 
Framingham Centre Common Historic District.
(1) 
Framingham Centre Common c. 1735.
(2) 
Village Hall, 2 Oak Street, built 1834.
(3) 
Edgell Memorial Library, (Framingham History Center) 3 Oak Street, built 1872.
(4) 
Civil War Monument at 3 Oak Street, erected 1872.
(5) 
The Capt. Eliphalet Wheeler House, 18 Vernon Street, built 1818.
(6) 
The Jonathan Maynard Building (Danforth Art), 12 Vernon Street, built 1916.
(7) 
Framingham Academy (Framingham History Center Museum), 14 Vernon Street, built 1837.
(8) 
First Parish Church, 24 Vernon Street, built 1926.
(9) 
First Parish House, 24 Vernon Street, built 1959.
(10) 
Plymouth Church, 87 Edgell Road, built 1968.
(11) 
The Otis Boynton House, 85 Edgell Road, built 1825.
(12) 
The Jason Hall House, 65 Edgell Road, built 1850.
(13) 
The O'Brien House, 63 Edgell Road, built 1961.
(14) 
The Grossman House, 61 Edgell Road, built 1960.
(15) 
The Framingham Bank, 39 Edgell Road, built 1833.
(16) 
Office/Bank Building, 35 Edgell Road, built 1969.
(16A) 
Nancy Eaton Jennings House, 110 Edgell Road
(17) 
The Charles Train House (Plymouth Parsonage), 125 Edgell Road, c. 1836.
(18) 
The East Cloyes House, 121 Edgell Road, c. 1836.
(19) 
The Daniel Hemenway House, 151 Edgell Road, c. 1800.
(20) 
The Brandolini House, 2 Auburn Street, built 1955.
(21) 
The Stone Gardner's Cottage, 4 Auburn Street, c. 1850.
(22) 
Office Building, 5 Auburn Street, built 1970.
(23) 
The Whitney-Wiggins House, 10 Auburn Street, built 1826.
(24) 
The Edgar Wheeler House, 6 Vernon Street, c. 1850.
(25) 
The Clark Builders Trust House, 8 Vernon Street, built 1969.
(26) 
The Train-Vernon House, 20 Vernon Street, c. 1848.
(27) 
The Rinaldo House, 31 Grove Street, built 1970.
(28) 
The Mrs. Gordon House, 33 Grove Street, c. 1810.
(29) 
The Tarbox House, 4 Warren Place, built 1836.
(30) 
The J.J. Marshall House, 3 Warren Place, c. 1800.
(31) 
The Stalker House, 8 Warren Place, c. 1768.
(32) 
The John Mann House, 11 Warren Place, c. 1867.
(33) 
The George A. Weeks House, 122 Edgell Road, built 1865.
(34) 
The General George Henry Gordon House, 936 Central Street, built 1820.
(35) 
Harriet Carter House, 3 Vernon Street, built 1853.
(36) 
Julia Wight House, 5/7 Vernon Street, built ca. 1860.
(37) 
Caroline B. Clark House, 9 Vernon, built 1852-1853.
(38) 
Lothrop Wight House, 8 Library, built ca. 1860.
(39) 
John and Sarah Clark House, 12 Library, built ca. 1860.
(40) 
Wight-Esty Block, 931-937 Worcester Road, built between 1832-1850.
(41) 
Van Duzer Hardware Company Block, 939 Worcester Road, built ca. 1935.
(42) 
Tilton-Wheeler Store, 945 Worcester Road/1 Vernon Street, built by 1830.
B. 
Jonathan Maynard Historic District.
(1) 
First Baptist Church, 48 Pleasant Street, built 1826.
(2) 
The William Buckminster House, 48 Pleasant Street, c. 1799.
(3) 
The Drive John Osgood House, 64 Pleasant Street, c. 1832.
(4) 
The Goldberg House, 155 Maynard Road, 1894.
(5) 
The Cyrus Blake House, 79 Pleasant Street, c. 1832.
(6) 
The Mason House, 153 Maynard Road, built 1984.
(7) 
The Ira Mitchell House, 89 Pleasant Street, c. 1832.
(8) 
The Marion Adams House, 100 Pleasant Street, c. 1890.
(9) 
The Blanche Partridge House, 111 Pleasant Street, built 1917.
(10) 
The "Little Maynard" House, 198 Maynard Road, c. 1901.
(11) 
The Dexter Esty House, 109 Pleasant Street, c. 1832.
(12) 
The Capt. Charles Williams House (Jonathan Maynard House), 113 Pleasant Street, c. 1760.
(13) 
The Henry Orne Stone House, 120 Pleasant Street, c. 1840.
(14) 
The Judge Blodgett House, 129 Pleasant Street, built 1915.
(15) 
The Kelly House, 130 Pleasant Street, built 1867.
(16) 
The Boudrot House, 139 Pleasant Street, built 1974.
(17) 
The Jesse Belknap House, 138 Pleasant Street, c. 1832.
(18) 
The Spielberger House, 149 Pleasant Street, built 1995.
(19) 
The Rev. L. R. Eastman House, 154 Pleasant Street, c. 1850.
(20) 
The Roessler House, 159 Pleasant Street, built 1994.
(21) 
The Rock House, 2 Aspen Circle, built 1986.
(22) 
The Thorup House, 165 Pleasant Street, built 1994.
(23) 
The Obed Winter House, 176 Pleasant Street, c. 1850.
(24) 
The H. Twombly House, 169 Pleasant Street, c. 1799.
(25) 
The Lockhart House, 198 Pleasant Street, built 1955.
(26) 
The Wagner House, 179 Pleasant Street, built 1994.
(27) 
The Jacob B. Winchester House, 200 Pleasant Street, c. 1823.
(28) 
The Davis House, 187 Pleasant Street, c. 1872.
(29) 
The J. J. Valentine House, 28 Pleasant Street, c. 1840.
(30) 
The George Newell House, 201 Pleasant Street, c. 1832.
(31) 
The G. R. Brown House, 216 Pleasant Street, c. 1851.
(32) 
The George Phipps House, 41 Pleasant Street, built 1817 (to include the entire presently existing dwelling on a parcel consisting of not less than 25,000 square feet of land and having not less than 65 feet of frontage on Pleasant Street).
(33) 
The Mancall House, 45 Pleasant Street, built 1994.
(34) 
The Pearl House, 47 Pleasant Street, built 1994.
(35) 
The Devlin House, 49 Pleasant Street, built 1994.
(36) 
The Glickman House, 51 Pleasant Street, built 1994.
(37) 
The Brostrom House, 55 Pleasant Street, built 1994.
(38) 
Vacant lot, 56 Pleasant Street.
(39) 
Vacant lot, 204 Pleasant Street.
(40) 
Vacant lot, 205 Pleasant Street.
C. 
Sarah Clayes Historic District. The Sarah Clayes House, 657 Salem End Road, c. 1693.
D. 
H. H. Richardson Depot Historic District. The H. H. Richardson Depot and Luggage House, 417 Waverly Street.
E. 
Pike-Haven-Foster House Historic District. The Pike-Haven-Foster House, 161 Belknap Road.
F. 
John Hemenway House Historic District. The John Hemenway House, 613 Pleasant Street.
[Adopted 1-5-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-006 as Art. V, Sec. 21, of the General Ordinances]
This article is enacted for the purpose of protecting and preserving significant buildings within the City outside local historic districts designated under Article I, Historic Districts, of this chapter which constitute or reflect distinctive features of the architectural or historical resources of the City, and to encourage owners of such buildings to seek out alternative options to preserve, rehabilitate or restore such buildings rather than to demolish them, thereby promoting the public welfare and preserving the cultural heritage of the City. To achieve these purposes, the Framingham Historical Commission is authorized to advise the Building Commissioner with respect to the issuance of permits for the demolition of significant buildings. The issuance of demolition permits for significant buildings is regulated as provided by this article.
[Amended 9-2-2025 by Order No. 2025-027-003]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
BUILDING
Any combination of materials forming a shelter for persons, animals, or property.
BUILDING COMMISSIONER
The person occupying the office of Building Commissioner or otherwise authorized to issue demolition permits.
COMMISSION
The Framingham Historical Commission.
DEMOLITION
Any act of pulling down, destroying, removing or razing a building or commencing the work of total or substantial destruction with the intent of completing the same.
DEMOLITION PERMIT
The permit issued by the Building Commissioner as required by the State Building Code for a demolition, substantial demolition or removal of a building.
HISTORICALLY OR ARCHITECTURALLY SIGNIFICANT BUILDING
Any building, in whole or in part, which is at least 80 years old and:
A. 
Which is listed on, or is a contributing building within an area listed on, the National Register of Historic places; or which is the subject of a pending application for such listing; or is eligible for such listing; or
B. 
Is included in the Cultural Resources Inventory prepared by the Commission; or
C. 
Has been determined by vote of the Commission to be a significant building after a finding by the Commission that a building either:
(1) 
Is importantly associated with one or more historic persons or events, or with the broad architectural, cultural, political, economic or social history of the City or the commonwealth; or
(2) 
Is historically or architecturally significant (in terms of period, style, method of building construction or association with a recognized architect or builder) either by itself or in the context of a group of buildings.
PREFERENTIALLY PRESERVED
Any historically or architecturally significant building which the Commission determines is in the public interest to be preserved or rehabilitated rather than to be demolished.
[Amended 9-2-2025 by Order No. 2025-027-003]
A. 
No permit for the demolition of a building which is in whole or in part 80 or more years old shall be issued other than in conformity with the provisions of this article, as well as in conformity with the provisions of other laws and ordinances applicable to the demolition of buildings and the issuance of permits generally.
B. 
Application contents: Every application for a demolition permit for a building at least 80 years old shall be filed with the Historical Commission and shall contain the following information:
(1) 
The address of the building to be demolished;
(2) 
The owner's name, address and telephone number;
(3) 
A brief description of the type of building and the condition requiring issuance of the permit;
(4) 
Photographs of each elevation of the building to be demolished;
(5) 
Date of building as established by the Board of Assessors, deed or documentation verifying year of construction;
(6) 
A brief description of the proposed reuse, reconstruction or replacement on the premises upon which the building is located;
(7) 
Permission for City staff or Commissioners to enter the property during the demolition delay process; and
(8) 
A $100 check payable to the City of Framingham. This check will only be deposited if the Commission determines that the building in question is historically and/or architecturally significant and a public hearing is scheduled to determine whether the building should be preferentially preserved. If the Commission determines that the building is not historically and/or architecturally significant, the check will be returned to the applicant.
C. 
Within 30 calendar days of receipt of the application for demolition permit by the Commission, the Commission shall make a determination of architectural and/or historical significance. Upon determination by the Commission that the building is not an historically or architecturally significant building, the Commission shall so notify the Building Commissioner, in writing. Upon receipt of such notification, or after the expiration of 30 calendar days from the date of submission to the Commission, if the Building Commissioner has not received notification from the Commission, the Building Commissioner may issue the demolition permit.
D. 
Upon determination by the Commission that the building is an historically or architecturally significant building, the Building Commissioner and applicant shall be so notified, in writing, and a demolition permit shall not be issued. The Commission shall hold a public hearing within 30 calendar days of the determination of significance to determine whether the building should be preferentially preserved. Public notice of the time, place and purpose of the hearing shall be published by the Historical Commission at the expense of the applicant in a newspaper of general circulation in the City not less than seven days before the date of said hearing and shall be posted in a conspicuous place in the City Hall for a period of not less than seven days before the date of said hearing. The applicant, owners of all adjoining properties, the City Councilor for the district in which the building is situated, the Building Commissioner and the Planning Board shall be sent a copy of the notice.
E. 
If after a public hearing the Commission determines that the historically or architecturally significant building should not be preferentially preserved, the Commission shall notify the Building Commissioner, in writing, within five working days of the hearing, and the Building Commissioner may issue a demolition permit upon receipt of the written decision.
F. 
If after a public hearing the Commission determines that the historically or architecturally significant building should be preferentially preserved, the Commission shall so notify the Building Commissioner, in writing, within five working days of the hearing, and no demolition permit may be issued until six months after the date of the determination by the Commission. For any building on the Cultural Resources Inventory that the Commission has determined should be preferentially preserved, no demolition permit may be issued until 12 months after the date of determination by the Commission; provided, however, that until a building has been listed on the Cultural Resources Inventory for a period of 12 months, a demolition delay may not exceed six months.
G. 
Notwithstanding anything contained in Subsection F, the Building Commissioner may issue a demolition permit for a preferably preserved building at any time after receipt of written advice from the Commission to the effect that either:
(1) 
The Commission is satisfied that there is no reasonable likelihood that either the owner or some other person or group is willing to purchase, preserve, rehabilitate or restore such building; or
(2) 
The Commission is satisfied that during the demolition delay period the owner has made continuing, bona fide and reasonable efforts to locate a purchaser to preserve, rehabilitate or restore the subject building and that such efforts have been unsuccessful.
[Amended 4-30-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-025; 9-2-2025 by Order No. 2025-027-003]
It shall be the responsibility of the owner of record or their designee to assist in the facilitation of the above process by providing information, allowing access to the property and securing the premises; to participate in the investigation of preservation options; and to actively cooperate in seeking alternatives with the Commission and any interested parties.
The applicant must provide written updates to the Historic Commission showing the status of the reasonable efforts being fulfilled prior to the end of the delay period. If the delay imposed is for six months, an update shall be provided at three months; if the delay is imposed for 12 months, updates shall be provided at four and eight months.
[Amended 9-2-2025 by Order No. 2025-027-003]
A. 
The Commission may adopt such rules and regulations as are necessary to administer the terms of this article.
B. 
The Commission may proactively develop and maintain a list of historically or architecturally significant buildings (the Cultural Resources Inventory) that will be subject to this article. Buildings proposed for the Cultural Resources Inventory (CRI) shall be added following a public hearing.
Nothing in this article shall restrict the Building Commissioner from immediately ordering the demolition of any building in the event of imminent danger to the safety of the public.
[Amended 4-30-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-025]
The Commission and/or the Building Commissioner are each specifically authorized to institute any and all actions and proceedings, in law or equity, as they may deem necessary and appropriate to obtain compliance with the requirements of this article or to prevent a threatened violation thereof. No building permit shall be issued with respect to any premises upon which a historically or architecturally significant building has been voluntarily demolished in violation of this article for a period of two years after the date of the completion of such demolition. As used herein, "premises" refers to the parcel of land upon which the demolished historically or architecturally significant building was located and all adjoining parcels of land under common ownership or control.
Nothing in this article shall be deemed to conflict with the provisions of the Historic Districts Act, Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40C. If any of the provisions of this article do so conflict, that Act shall prevail.