Framingham Views

I’ve found some great things related to local history, at various estate and yard sales over the years. Here’s more from an antique photo album I found once.  First, Lake Waushakum.

Next, a view of the Dennison. I’m not sure from what street this view was taken.

Here’s the more often seen view, taken from Waverley St, at the crossing.

Notice the Dennison sign isn’t on the main roof, but to the right, there’s a part of a sign that says Crepe. The building with that sign is now gone.

Going through an old photo album can be interesting and fun. Here’s a couple of scenes I found recently.

On the same page of the album, was this photo, clearly marked Mayhew St. I think this may be in Hopkinton, but I’m not sure.

A couple of pages later, here’s this view of Irving St.

People certainly got dressed up to go into town in those days. I don’t recognize any of the houses, and wonder if anyone can pinpoint the exact location on Irving this view shows.

Elias M. Loew, an American success story, opened the Hollis Theatre on Hollis St. Framingham on Thursday September 8, 1938. It was the 43rd theatre in the E. M. Loew chain, which ran from New England to Florida. The Hollis was always considered the poor man’s movie palace, with a simple design, small and without a balcony. Here’s how the Hollis looked in it’s peak years.

The Hollis suffered from the effects of television, competition downtown from the St. George and Gorman, as well as the opening of the Cinema in Shoppers World, and closed in March of 1954. For awhile the building housed a ski school. It still stands today, as a church. Here’s a picture inside the auditorium the way it is today.

Downtown Framingham needs another venue to make it a destination. Although the Hollis is taken, there must be someplace else that could be used for entertainment. Maybe the old firestation given to Amazing Things will fill the bill.  Any other ideas out there?

What if someone were to invest about $3 million in a new Arts Center in downtown Framingham? A new building next to the Kendall might look like this.

Kents Department Store on Concord St in downtown, circa 1958.

This photo was part of a series commissioned by the Framingham National Bank for their

annual report of the day.