‘Top 10’ artifacts of Framingham to be on display for 20-month exhibit

The “top 10” historical artifacts of the Framingham History Center, including the old Shoppers World sign and a tune book from the Revolutionary War, will be on display until April 2021 starting on Friday.

FRAMINGHAM – From pint-sized jail cell pins to a neon Shoppers World sign that’s more than a half century old, the 10 most important artifacts at the Framingham History Center have left their archival boxes and will now be on display until April of 2021.

Set in a modern gallery style, the exhibit spans three centuries of history in different types of mediums and sizes, according to the History Center, each playing a pivotal role in Framingham’s community and significance.

Each artifact is sponsored by an organization donating $2,000 to support the program, said Laura Stagliola, the center’s assistant director. Last year, during a brainstorming meeting with a group of MetroWest museum executives, the conversation drifted to what the city had in its collection, she said.

“They were blown away by the stuff we had,” she said. “And in Framingham – who knew?”

Stagliola said the 18-month exhibit will give visitors plenty of time to visit, and it will give its part-time curator time to create another exhibit after that one ends.

The center will hold monthly Q&As with the curator, focusing on individual artifacts in the collection and their significance, said Stagolia. The first will be held on Nov. 13.

Artifacts that will be on display include:

• • The old Shoppers World sign (sponsored by Mutual One Bank). Shoppers World opened in Framingham on Oct. 4, 1951, the first mall east of the Rockies, according to the History Center, featuring 44 stores. Once a month, the center will illuminate the sign, mounted on the wall inside the exhibit, said Stagliola.

• • Rev. Dr. Peter Parker’s diplomatic uniform from 1856 (sponsored by MetroWest Medical Center). Parker, a Framingham resident, was the first U.S. medical missionary to travel to China, said Stagilola, working there from 1834-1857. When it was received by the center, the collar and cuffs were detached and the jacket was see-through, she said. About a year and a half ago, a historical costume designer worked 120 hours to restore the jacket to its state today.

• • A 1764 bill of sale of “Phebe” (sponsored by Framingham History Center board of directors). The document outlines the sale of an enslaved 2-year-old African American girl named Phebe from a Sudbury man to a widowed Framingham woman.

• • Two “Jailed for Freedom” pins (sponsored by Framingham Women’s Club). Each pin was awarded to a Framingham suffragette who spent time in jail for picketing President Woodrow Wilson and his opposition to women’s suffrage.

Stagliola said her favorite item in the collection is an old tune book from the Revolutionary War. The book was owned by Thomas Nixon, a 13-year-old fifer in the American Revolution. In the back of the book he even started writing his own tunes, which Stagliola noted are still legible. Only 13 of these books are known to still exist, she said.

Other sponsors who are supporting an artifact in the collection include Framingham State University; Murphy, Edwards, Goncalves & Ferrera, PC; Avery Dennison; Eastern Bank and Union Mutual; and Alira Health.

Visitors are invited to stop by the exhibit anytime from 1-4 p.m. at Edgell Memorial Library, 3 Oak St., during regular Framingham History Center hours to view the collection. Admission is $5 for adults and free for children under 18 and History Center members.

Lauren Young writes about immigration, politics and social issues. Reach her at 315-766-6912 or lyoung@wickedlocal.com. Follow her on Twitter @laurenatmilford.