Franklin, Massachusetts

Town of Franklin
City
Main Street
Seal
Motto: Industry Need Not Wish
Coordinates: 42°05′N 71°24′W / 42.083°N 71.400°W / 42.083; -71.400
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Norfolk
Settled	1660
Incorporated	1778
Government
• Type	Council-manager
• Town    Administrator	Jeff Nutting
Area
• Total	27.0 sq mi (70.0 km2)
• Land	26.7 sq mi (69.3 km2)
• Water	0.3 sq mi (0.7 km2)
Elevation	300 ft (91 m)
Population (2012)[1]
• Total	33,092
• Density	1,200/sq mi (470/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	02038
Area code(s)	508 / 774
FIPS code	25-25100
GNIS feature ID	0611686
Website	www.franklin.ma.us

The Town of Franklin is a city^[2] in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, US. Franklin is one of fourteen Massachusetts municipalities that have applied for, and been granted, city forms of government but wish to retain "The town of” in their official names.^[3] As of 2012, the city's population was 33,092. It is home to the country's first library, with its first books donated by Benjamin Franklin and the country's oldest continuously operational one-room school house. It also contains the largest Catholic parish in the Boston Archdiocese, St. Mary's Catholic church, with some 15,000 members.

History

Franklin was first settled by Europeans in 1660 and officially incorporated during the American Revolution. The town was formed from the western part of the town of Wrentham on February 16, 1778; its designated name at incorporation was to be Exeter.^{[citation needed]} However, the town's citizens chose to be called Franklin in honor of the statesman Benjamin Franklin, the first municipality in the US to be so named.

It was hoped that Benjamin Franklin would donate a bell for a church steeple in the town, but donated 116 books instead,^[4] beginning a debate over who should be allowed access to these books. On November 20, 1790, it was decided that the volumes would be lent to the residents of Franklin for free via its library, which has been in operation since then. The Ray Memorial Library building was dedicated in 1904. In 1990, on the library's bicentennial, its staff published a booklet, "A History of America's First Public Library at Franklin Massachusetts, 1790 ~ 1990" to commemorate America's first public library and book collection.^[5]

The city is also home to the birthplace of America's father of public education, Horace Mann. The town is also home to what may be the nation's oldest continuously operational one-room school house (Croydon, New Hampshire's school dates to 1780, but there is debate as to whether it is truly "one room"). The Red Brick School was started in 1792, its building constructed in 1833,^[6] and was operational until 2008. St. Mary's Catholic Church, located in central Franklin and built by Matthew Sullivan, is the largest Catholic parish in the Boston Archdiocese with some 15,000 members.

County v. Town

The town of Franklin is located in Norfolk County. Unlike the municipalities of Barnstable, Essex, Hampden, Nantucket (co-extensive with its namesake county), Norfolk, Plymouth and Worcester, all of which are located in the similarly named county, the town of Franklin is not actually located in Franklin County.

Geography

Franklin is located at 42°5′N 71°24′W / 42.083°N 71.400°W / 42.083; -71.400 (42.0891, -71.4069).^[7] According to the US Census Bureau the town has a total area of 27.0 square miles (70 km²), of which 26.7 square miles (69 km²) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²) (1 percent) is water.

Most of Franklin lies within the Charles River watershed. Principal streams include Mine, Shepard's, Miller, Uncas, Dix and Miscoe Brooks. Much of the marshland along Mine Brook has been permanently protected by the Natural Valley Storage Project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The extreme southwest corner of Franklin is part of the Blackstone River watershed. The town has an impounded series of lakes known as the Franklin Reservoir, which is not used as a public drinking water supply. The lakes are now protected open space donated to the town by the late Ernest DelCarte. Beaver Pond also is a municipal recreation area and includes an artificial turf playing and recreation field, and playground. In the summer, it is a popular spot for swimming and fishing. The beach is also used for volleyball games. Significant public forests and parks include the Franklin State and the Franklin Town Forests.

Climate

Franklin's climate is typical of Eastern Massachusetts, experiencing a wide range of temperatures from winter to summer. Average January high temperatures are near 34 degrees while the average low is around 19. Franklin averages around 50 inches of snow in a winter, with snowfall varies considerably from year to year. The winter of 1988-89 saw only about 12 inches of snow, while the record breaking year of 1995-96 saw about 125 inches.

Franklin is often hit by Nor'easters, and is located near the dividing rain/snow line which often sets up just to the south which affects snowfall amounts greatly. It is not uncommon for there to be much less snow 10–20 miles south of Franklin towards the Taunton area in an average storm, while north towards Hopkinton there can be considerably more. In an average snowstorm Franklin will usually pick up more snow than Providence or Boston due to its location further inland, away from the influence of milder ocean air.

Springtime sees the last frost usually in mid-May, with frequent "backdoor coldfronts" which move inland from the Atlantic Ocean bringing cold and raw conditions and sometimes fog. There are instances where temperatures can drop from the 80's to the 60's in the span of an afternoon in May and June from these fronts. Generally, temperatures consistently above 70 degrees set in towards late May.

Summer in Franklin is usually pleasant, with occasional high humidity and thunderstorms. Average July high temperatures are in the low 80's, with average July lows in the low 60's. Fall brings less humid weather with mild days and cool nights. The average frost is around October 1, with the peak foliage season usually falling around the Columbus Day weekend. The first snow usually occurs by late November, and the town can expect a "white Christmas" about 40 percent of the time.

Recent temperature extremes range from -14 degrees in January 2011 to an unusually high temperature of 101 in July 2011, which came the year after the hottest summer on record in New England with unusual relentless high humidity. The winter of 2010-11 was especially severe in regards to snow depth. Nearly 3 feet (0.91 m) of snow stayed on the ground from January 2011 into the first week of March. Total snowfall for the town that winter was 92 inches, almost twice the normal amount.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census^[18],^[19] there were 31,852 people, 10,866 households, and 7,877 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,105.4 inhabitants per square mile (426.8 /km²). There were 10,327 housing units at an average density of 386.2 per square mile (149.1 /km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.8 percent White, 3.83 percent Asian or Pacific Islander, 2.0 percent Hispanic or Latino of any race, 1.4 percent African American, 0.15 percent Native American, 0.29 percent from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races.

There were 10,866 households out of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.4% contained married couples living together, 22.4% were non-families, and 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present. 18.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80, the average family size 3.29.

As far as breakdown by age, the population was spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 35.1% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.

The median household income in the town was $92,066, and the median income for a family was $81,826 (these figures had risen to $89,659 and $101,900, respectively, as of a 2008 estimate)^[20]). Men had a median income of $58,888 versus $36,557 for women; the per capita income for the town was $27,849. About 2.2% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under 18 and 5.2% of those 65 or over.

The town is represented in the Massachusetts General Court by Representative Jeffrey Roy and Senators Richard Ross and Karen Spilka.^[21]

Theme Song

The Town of Franklin has its own theme song composed by town resident and music teacher James H. Barrett. Entitled "The City Known as the Town of Franklin", the song reflects the many unique characteristics of Franklin. The lyrics discuss the library, the one-room schoolhouse, and the birthplace of Horace Mann.

Education

The Franklin Public Schools have six elementary schools, three middle schools, and one high school. Franklin is also home to one regional vocational-technical high school and one charter school (Grades K - 8). The elementary schools are John F. Kennedy Elementary School, Jefferson Elementary School, Oak Street Elementary School, Gerald M. Parmenter Elementary School, Helen Keller Elementary School, and Davis Thayer Elementary School. The middle schools are Annie Sullivan Middle School, Remington Middle School, and Horace Mann Middle School. All of the Franklin middle schools share a building with at least one other school. Annie Sullivan shares with Helen Keller Elementary, Remington with Jefferson Elementary, and Horace Mann shares with Oak Street Elementary school and the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC). The two public high schools are Franklin High School and Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School. Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School and the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School operate independently of the Franklin Public School system.

Franklin High School is undergoing the process of constructing a new school building and tearing down the old one. The new FHS will feature modern, accessible classrooms, science labs, integrated technology, and a performing arts theater. The new school is scheduled to be finished in fall 2014.^[22]

The Red Brick School is a historic school in the town. It was strictly for kindergarten students and was one of the longest running one-room schools in America. The quality of its public schools is part of the reason that Family Circle named Franklin as one of the top ten towns in the US to raise a family.

The Town of Franklin is also home to Dean College, founded in 1865, is a private residential college with about 1,100 students. The college grants associate degrees in a number of subjects (98% of the students are accepted for transfer to four-year schools); but also offers bachelor's programs in Arts and Entertainment Management, Business, Dance, Liberal Arts & Studies, and Theater.

Sports

Franklin boasts many sports teams. For public recreation, Franklin offers baseball, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, field hockey, ice hockey, track and field, football, flag football, basketball, metro basketball, softball, Babe Ruth baseball, and wrestling. There are many trails for recreational hiking and some trails in the Franklin State Forest are approved for non-motorized mountain biking while others are approved for motorized two-wheeled dirtbikes. From 1967 through 2000, the town was also home to a small downhill ski area called Klein Innsbruck.^[23]

Franklin High School's sports teams belong to the Hockomock League, in Division 1 (the Kelley-Rex Division). Their sports rival is King Philip Regional High School, in neighboring Wrentham.

Points of interest

As noted, the Franklin Public Library is the first public library in America. It is a 1904 building with granite and marble staircases, frescoed walls in its reading room and still houses the original books donated by Benjamin Franklin. Across the street from the library is Dean College, with Gothic architecture and a historic gymnasium.

According to a survey of the center of Franklin done for the historical commission of the town, the Franklin Common Historic District includes 74 historically contributing buildings. There are a number of houses prior to 1780, including a saltbox, kept as close to original as possible, from 1710. There is a house that dates to 1780 and was moved to Union Street in 1840. The next oldest house was built in 1830. There are 32 buildings that were built before 1900. The former town hall on West Central Street was built in 1842.

At one end of Franklin's Historic District is the little Red Brick School. Its classroom, believed to be one of the oldest still functioning as a public school in the United States, celebrated its 175th birthday in 2008. The Franklin Town Common features a gazebo, and several dedications located around the common. The brick bandstand on the Town Common was dedicated in 1917 and contributed by the Hayward family. Concerts and a Fourth of July celebration are held on the Common each summer. The Feast of St Rocco, a four-day family festival, is held each year in mid-August, sponsored by St. Mary Roman Catholic parish.

Downtown there is a series of restaurants and bars. The street lines on Union Street used to be painted red, white, and green to reflect the extensive Italian heritage in the city. The Zoetrope was an old fashioned movie theater that was a trademark of Franklin lore until it was torn down.

At Beaver Pond, there is an AstroTurf playing and recreation field, and playground. In the summer, it is a popular spot for swimming and fishing. The beach is also used for volleyball games.

The town also contains remnants of its Industrial Revolution background. Until recently, abandoned mills existed along the railroad tracks. One old mill building was turned into residential condos and a nearby building consists of a variety of multiple-use commercial businesses, including the Franklin Mill Store. The Brookdale Mill on the other side of Franklin was converted into Incontro, an upscale restaurant. A fourth mill on Hayward street was converted for upscale shopping.

Transportation

Franklin has easy access to major cities like Boston and Providence with its two exits along I-495 at Route 140 and King St. Commuter rail service from Boston's South Station is provided by the MBTA with the Forge Park/495 and Dean College stops on its Franklin Line.

Franklin, and the surrounding towns also have a bus system, that is part of the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA) bus authority. Its route features many stops around the town, including the Municipal Building, Senior Center, Franklin Public Library, and the Franklin Village Shopping center.

Notable residents

Unless otherwise noted, individuals are or were residents of Franklin.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Franklin, Massachusetts.

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Franklin (Massachusetts).

• Town of Franklin official website
• "The City Known as the Town of Franklin" Theme Song
• Franklin Public Library
• State Representative Jeffrey N. Roy

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