“View of the Centre Common of Framingham, 1808” Lithograph Reproduction

Description

**Reproduction print – not framed**

In 1808, Framingham was over a century old, but its bustling, beautiful Centre Common was relatively new. The Centre Common developed around the location of Framingham’s second meeting house, which was moved from present-day Buckminster Square. Although a meetinghouse was established on this site in the 1730s, Framingham Centre would not be cleared and developed until after the Revolution. Most New England town commons remained wooded and unkempt until the mid-19th century, making Framingham Centre well ahead of the curve. This was because of its critical location halfway between Boston and Worcester on the new Worcester Turnpike, which turned the wooded outpost into a bustling boom town just as the new century began.

It is this version of the Centre Common that was captured in watercolor by Captain Daniel Bell in 1808, resulting in perhaps the most iconic image of the town to date. The incredible level of detail in this painting gives us a unique window into the Common of the past, including many buildings which no longer stand. Bell’s watercolor is one of the most copied images in the FHC collection, with over ten replications in various mediums.