General Motors Bought 76 Acres In Framingham 73 Years Ago

FRAMINGHAM, MA—America in 1945 was shifting from wartime to peace time, and General Motors wanted to capitalize on the country's zest for new cars.

The automobile manufacturer planned three huge plants across the country; one in Atlanta, one in Wilmington and one in Framingham. The Framingham plant encompassed 176 acres, which included the Framingham Airport. The plant took two years and $12 million to build and cars started to roll off the assembly line in February of 1948.

GM closed up shop on Aug. 1, 1989, but at its height employed 3,700 workers from across New England, reports Best Ride.

At its height, GM’s Framingham Assembly plant was one of the largest industrial manufacturing facilities in the state of Massachusetts, employing 3,700 workers from all over New England. At the end of its first year, the plant produced 25,000 Buicks.

Photos and information courtesy Framingham History Project.