Designated Cultural Districts

Location: Bedford

Description: Bedford's District became part of American Revolutionary History when in April 19, 1775, Bedford Minutemen gathered in Fitch Tavern before setting off to fight the British Redcoats in the Battle of Concord at North Road. The Bedford Flag is reputed to have been flown in this battle, which is now on display at the Bedford Public Library as the oldest surviving intact battle flag in the United States. The Town's historic character is a main feature of the District in large part through the Town's preservation efforts of the Depot Rail Road Terminal and the many historic homes from the colonial, Victorian and Edwardian eras. Bedford's history is also celebrated through public art, historic tours, and public events, such as the hugely popular annual Pole capping event by Bedford Minutemen reenactors. The Town has committed to creating a dedicated History Museum to further celebrate the Town's history. Complementing the Town's historic preservation efforts is an exciting synergy between Bedford's historic railroad network and a cluster of artist and media production studios near the Minuteman Bikeway and Narrow Gauge Rail Trail. The District is home to glassmakers, sculptors, musical instrument makers, video and television producers, painters, and potters. The District is also comprised of retail businesses, unique clothing stores, gift and antique shops and restaurants and cafes. Many cultural events are concentrated within the District, such as Winter Walkabout and Tree Lighting, local history tours, historic reenactments, concerts, craft fairs, festivals, parades, and public ceremonies. Expanding on the array of cultural events, the Town hosted its first Summer Solstice Festival, including a beer garden, food trucks, games, and music on the Town Common in June 2019. Art exhibits, speakers, and performances are sponsored by local churches, Depot Park (Buddliner), and Middlesex Community College. The Old Town Hall, managed by Bedford Town Center Inc., provides room rentals for dance studios and cultural organizations in the region who are looking for performance space in a beautiful historic building. The Town Campus within the proposed District includes a variety of cultural and public assets including Bedford Day at the Town Center Campus, art exhibits and author talks at the Bedford Public Library, theater performances at Bedford High School Theater, and Bedford Arts and Crafts Society workshops and exhibits at the Town Center.

Location: Concord

Description: The Concord Center Cultural District is a picturesque New England village. 18th, 19th and 20th century buildings in a National Historic District are backdrops for world-class dance, concerts and art exhibitions. Although you see a bit of history at every turn, you are invigorated by history being made today by goldsmiths handcrafting jewelry, artists creating and teaching their craft, and performers taking an evening dining experience to another level.The first battle of the American Revolution took place in Concord on April 19, 1775. Listen to fife and drum corps from all over the nation as they march down Main Street at the annual Patriot's Day Parade complete with marching Minutemen and historical re-enactors on horseback. The Concord Players traces its history back to 1856 and pays homage to its founder, Louisa May Alcott. Today, the Players perform at The Performing Arts Center at 51 Walden, which is also home to the Concord Band and the Concord Orchestra. And there are more than 50 resident artists at Emerson Umbrella Center for the Arts that open their studios twice a year. Concord's ArtWalk, Sizzlin' Summer Sidewalk Sales, and Holiday Shopping Night bring Concord's merchants, artists, and performers to the streets. Concord Center has been the hub of activity for centuries for Concord residents and visitors and remains so today.

Location: Framingham

Description: Framingham Centre Common has been a site of religious and civic institutions in Framingham since the early 18th century. The city's meetinghouse was located here in the 18th century, and the town hall in the 19th century. With the development of the Boston-Worcester Turnpike (Route 9) in the early 19th century, the area grew into a commercial node near the geographical center of the city as the halfway point between Boston and Worcester. The location of a State Normal School, now Framingham State University, on Bare Hill in 1853 also contributed to the growth of the area in the 19th century. Commercial and institutional interests are clustered at the Centre Common, a historic greenspace just north of Route 9, with residential neighborhoods surrounding this public core. Framingham State University balances the Centre Common area on the south side of Route 9. Due to the area's continued and varied settlement, the district includes buildings from the 18th through the 20th century. Local, state, and federal organizations have recognized the significance of the area. The district includes two local historic districts - the Centre Common Historic District (1978) and the Jonathan Maynard Historic District (1994) - and a National Register of Historic Places District - the Centre Common Historic District (1990). Today the area is a vibrant mix of residential development, commercial buildings such as restaurants and small businesses, and a significant number of religious and non-profit institutions. Major contributors to the area's cultural density include Framingham State University, the Danforth Museum, the Framingham History Center, and Access Framingham as well as First Parish Church, Plymouth Church, First Baptist Church, and St. Andrew's Church.

Location: Franklin

Description: The Franklin Cultural District is alive with energetic events, family-friendly festivals, creative classes, concerts, culinary experiences, and much more!

Location: Lexington

Description: In Lexington, as in Arlington, Bedford, and Concord, history and the present are intertwined. Like Arlington and Bedford as well, Lexington was originally a long, strung-out settlement centered first on Mass Ave and then, in 1846, along the Boston and Lynn railroad. The railroad was abandoned from 1977 to 1993 when it was reborn as the 10.1-mile-long Minuteman Bikeway. The Bikeway links our towns as the railroad had done, beginning at Alewife Station in Cambridge, passing through Arlington, and ending a mile into Bedford. Most of the cultural institutions of Lexington can be found between Mass Ave and the Bikeway. As the Birthplace of American Liberty, the Town of Lexington, Massachusetts, has many events and assets through which one can experience Lexington’s rich history and relive the events of April 19th, 1775. Lexington has a charming, quintessential Downtown. Colonial Lexington is centered around its Battle Green, where the first skirmish of the Revolutionary War, re-enacted annually, took place on April 18, 1775. The Green is surrounded by houses, some original to the time, including the Buckman Tavern (1710), where John Hancock and Sam Adams were gathered until Paul Revere arrived in time for their retreat to the Hancock-Clarke House (1737), a few blocks away on Hancock Street. The Lexington Cultural District enhances these assets and highlights Lexington’s arts and cultural community.

Location: Maynard

Description: In a region steeped in Colonial history, Maynard offers a unique experience for residents and visitors alike based on its history and creative culture. A walk through downtown Maynard along the Assabet River features art galleries and pottery studios, offering unique works by renowned local artists. ArtSpace Maynard, a repurposed schoolhouse with 80 artists in 43 studios that, is one of the cornerstones of Maynard's artistic spirit. Young families and the intellectually curious will find diverse programming and resources at the Maynard Public Library, which has recently undergone a $5 million dollar restoration. Performing arts fans can enjoy a blockbuster or independent film at Fine Arts Theatre Place, a fully restored 1950s era movie theatre, or view live theatre at ACME Theater which produces original works by local playwrights.Maynard loves to celebrate its culture, and festivals fill the calendar, including the Spring Artwalk, Fourth of July, Oktoberfest, Holiday Sip 'n Stroll, OARS Film Festival, and Maynard Fest. Called the 'Harvard Square of MetroWest' by Boston Magazine, Maynard is a unique community with a something for everyone.

Location: Natick

Description: The Natick Center Cultural District's majestic, late 19th-century, "neo-gothic" architecture serves as a visually impressive historic platform for the district's numerous cultural offerings and its cultural anchors ? The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN) and the municipally-owned Morse Institute Library. Another key destination within the cultural district is the town common. Quintessentially New England, with its ample green space and wooden gazebo, the common provides an ideal stage for a busy calendar of free public concerts and festivals. The district is a culmination of over a decade of historic preservation and public and private investment in the town center's streetscape and facade improvements, and cultural facilities. In 2003, TCAN opened its doors, following an impassioned rescue mission by a group of local citizens and the thoughtful restoration of Natick's historic (c. 1875) Central Fire Station on Summer Street into the premier performing arts center in the Metrowest area. TCAN has drawn nearly 20,000 attendees to its 300 performances, classes, lectures, film programs, and art exhibitions during the past year. The district is home to over 100 working artists and dozens of independently owned businesses, and events such as the yearly Natick Open Studios, the Art Walk, and historic walking tours knit together its many activities. And, just steps away from the Common, the world-renowned Walnut Hill School for the Arts brings artists from all over the world to Natick, and down to Main Street to perform in the heart of this wonderful little town.

Location: Concord

Description: While historically a significant railroad junction community, West Concord today is much more than that -- it is a junction of rivers, trails, historic buildings, businesses, artists, and cultural organizations that make up a unique setting in Boston's MetroWest region. Stop into shops like noa Designs, Concord Outfitters, Firefly, Forever Tile, Phillips Fine Paint and Design, and the award-winning Debra's Natural Gourmet to find a variety of practical items and gifts. Merlin's Silver Star Studio, Three Stones Gallery, Robin Original Studio, and Brock & Co. Gallery can satisfy any art shopper, while the charming West Concord Five and Dime has everything you've been looking for (and more!). Culture seekers will revel in the performances, concerts, classes and workshops presented by the Concord Youth Theatre, Concord Conservatory of Music, West Concord Dance Academy, and Dance Prism. Summer visitors can enjoy a film series at Rideout Park, while the local ice cream shop hosts open mic nights and small concerts year-round. Visitors can treat their taste buds with dining experiences at Saltbox Kitchen and Woods Hill Table that offer exquisite farm-to-table experiences. Twin Seafood is a must for lovers of fresh seafood, while Nashoba Brook Bakery and Concord Teacakes satisfy the sweet tooth in all of us with delicious pastries and sweets.Bradford Mill, on the site of the former Allen Chair Company, brings the Junction's past into the present as a home for a shared-workplace complex, small entrepreneurial work spaces, and ArtScape -- a studio and gallery space for 20 cool and contemporary artists worth visiting.

Location: Winchester

Description: Settled by Europeans beginning in 1638 on land purchased from the Native Americans, Winchester was a small village on the Aberjona River. The Middlesex Canal ran through it in the early 19th century when the railroad supplanted it and built two stations in the downtown area which are still in use today and located within the proposed cultural district. The train has been a major planning conduit since the 1800s and inspired the layout, design, and development of the neighborhood within walking distance to the two stations. The train along with the river defined the town center, open green space, and fields which are all located within the proposed district. Winchester, formerly part of Woburn until breaking off and incorporating in 1850, through the centuries has maintained its downtown village look and feel, and it draws residents to historical, cultural, and dining facilities where old and new residents mix and mingle. Along with a planned renovation to the train station, newly created Central Business District zoning is now in place in place to attract development that will bring residential and retail to the downtown while maintaining the village context.