Framingham State College Framingham State College was founded as the first public institution for the education of teachers in the United States. Started in large part with the support of the legendary Horace Mann, it opened on July 3, 1839, in Lexington, Massachusetts. Due to its popularity, it was compelled on two occasions to move to larger quarters. In 1844, it relocated to West Newton and, in 1853, to its current location on Bare Hill in Framingham, Massachusetts.Framingham State College chronicles the history of the institution from when it first started in 1839 with three students. Buildings are seen as they originally looked and as they look today. Animating these views are stories of how the buildings were named and of the students who lived and learned in them. In addition, the teachers and administrators who walked and taught on these grounds are highlighted in rich detail.