History
The Longford Estate at Reservoir is steeped in history. Built at the turn of the 20th century, the grand Queen Anne Victorian at 340 Winter Street was once home to Richard H. Long—a prominent local shoe manufacturer, two-time candidate for governor, and a pioneer in the automotive industry.
In 1905, the Long Family welcomed their fifth child and decided to purchase the 325-acre Nevins estate in Framingham. This new estate provided for a grand 7,000-square-foot family mansion called Longford—an homage to their Irish roots. Longford was the pivot on which many happy family memories revolved. The estate included farm animals, a Shetland pony, and was the site of many croquet competitions after supper. The home hosted generations of memorable family events.
Long bought his grand estate to raise his family after bringing his family’s shoe business to Framingham just after 1900. The Nevins estate—located between Farm Pond and Reservoir Number Two—had the advantage of bordering the railroad and was undoubtedly ideal for the new five-story modern factory building built on Fountain Street. Inside the factory, a well-equipped lunchroom provided excellent meals at reasonable cost to workers. Called a "temple of industry" at its formal dedication on January 12, 1910, the 103-year-old reinforced concrete building still stands today.
Eager to get into the automobile industry, Long started making cars in the 1920s on an assembly line in Framingham before he opened up R.H. Long Motor Sales Company—a dealership now located in Southborough.
The estate was vacant for some time in recent years until a new law went into action. Framingham passed a historical reuse bylaw which allows for the enhancement of historically significant buildings while still maintaining the integrity of their neighborhoods.
Local developer Dennis Morgan has owned the property next to Longford since 1997 and recently purchased the Longford Estate because of this new law. He has a master’s degree in urban planning and completed a number of historical rehabs in the 80s and 90s in the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston. This project is the perfect fit for his background, and he’s excited to bring a new type of apartment living to Framingham.
Dennis says the Longford Estate is entirely different than the “big box” apartment buildings in Framingham that include upwards of 200-400 apartments. What sets Longford apart is the chance to live in a historical building with just 15 units. It’s boutique living in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Other complexes are built in commercial areas, whereas the Longford Estate is located near established neighborhoods of predominantly single-family homes. Plus, it’s near the reservoir, Framingham State University, and Cushing Park.