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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin,_Massachusetts
The Town of Franklin is a city[3] in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Franklin is one of thirteen Massachusetts municipalities that have applied for, and been granted, city forms of government but wish to retain "The town of" in their official names.[4] As of 2012, the city's population was 33,092. It is home to the country's first library, the Franklin Public Library with its first books donated by Benjamin Franklin in 1790. 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, and it was officially incorporated on March 2, 1778; its designated name at incorporation was to be Exeter.[5] However, the town's citizens opted to call it Franklin, in honor of the statesman Benjamin Franklin, the first municipality in the U.S. to be so named.
It was hoped that Benjamin Franklin would donate a bell for a church steeple in the town, but he donated 116 books instead,[6] 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 as the Franklin Public Library. 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.[7]
The town is also home to the birthplace of America's father of public education, Horace Mann. The town is also home to what may have been 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,[8] 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.
Geography
Franklin is located at 42°5′N 71°24′W (42.0891, -71.4069).[9] According to the U.S. 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.[citation needed] Significant public forests and parks include the Franklin State and the Franklin Town Forests.
Demographics
As of the 2010 census,[21][22] 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 Black or 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.
The population includes 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)[23]). 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.[24]
65.5% of Franklin residents claim to be religious, of that 54.2% are Catholic, 3.0% are Jewish, 2.2% are Presbyterian, 1.7% are Episcopalian, while members of Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Buddhist, Pentecostal, Mormon, Hindu, Mennonite, and Muslim faiths make up less than 1.0% of the population each.[25]
Religious Institutions in Franklin:
New England Chapel, Christian, 40 Kenmore Circle
St. Mary's Parish, Catholic, 1 Church Square
Franklin Federated Church, United Church of Christ, 171 Main Street
Crossway Church, Non-denominational Christianity, 282 Summer Street
Franklin United Methodist Church, Methodist, 82 W Central Street
St. John's, Episcopal, 237 Pleasant Street
Grace Baptist Church, Baptist, 69 Beaver Street
Anglican Church of the Redeemer, Anglican, 31 Hayward Street
First Universalist Society, Unitarian Universalist, 262 Chestnut Street
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mormon or LDS, 91 Jordan Road
Temple Etz Chaim, Jewish Synagogue, 900 Washington Street
Christian Science Society, Christian Science, 29 Dean Avenue
Kingdom Hall, Jehovah's Witness, 250 Maple Street
Providence Baptist Church, Baptist, 308 W Central Street
Education
The Franklin Public Schools have six elementary schools, three middle schools, and one high school. Franklin is also home to Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School and one charter school (Grades K - 8).
Franklin High School constructed a new high school building and tore down the old one in 2014.[26]
The Red Brick School is a historic school in the town. It was used at various times for kindergarten through 4th grade students; sometimes for multiple grades simultaneously. It was one of the longest running one-room schools in America.[citation needed]
The Town of Franklin is also home to Dean College, founded in 1865, a private residential college with over 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) and also offers bachelor's programs in Arts and Entertainment Management, Psychology, Sociology, History, English, Business, Marketing, Criminal Justice and Homeland Security Management, Sport Management, Sport Fitness, Recreation and Coaching, Dance, Liberal Arts & Studies, and Theater.
Points of interest
As noted, the Franklin Public Library is the first public library in America,[citation needed] the original books of which were donated by Benjamin Franklin. Across the street from the library is Dean College.
At one end of Franklin's Historic District is the little Red Brick School. Its classroom, believed to be one of the oldest public school in the United States, but is not still functioning, celebrated its 175th birthday in 2008.
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 includes stops to the Municipal Building, Senior Center, Franklin Public Library, and the Franklin Village Shopping center.
The Town of Franklin is a city[3] in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Franklin is one of thirteen Massachusetts municipalities that have applied for, and been granted, city forms of government but wish to retain "The town of" in their official names.[4] As of 2012, the city's population was 33,092. It is home to the country's first library, the Franklin Public Library with its first books donated by Benjamin Franklin in 1790. 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, and it was officially incorporated on March 2, 1778; its designated name at incorporation was to be Exeter.[5] However, the town's citizens opted to call it Franklin, in honor of the statesman Benjamin Franklin, the first municipality in the U.S. to be so named.
It was hoped that Benjamin Franklin would donate a bell for a church steeple in the town, but he donated 116 books instead,[6] 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 as the Franklin Public Library. 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.[7]
The town is also home to the birthplace of America's father of public education, Horace Mann. The town is also home to what may have been 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,[8] 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.
Geography
Franklin is located at 42°5′N 71°24′W (42.0891, -71.4069).[9] According to the U.S. 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.[citation needed] Significant public forests and parks include the Franklin State and the Franklin Town Forests.
Demographics
As of the 2010 census,[21][22] 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 Black or 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.
The population includes 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)[23]). 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.[24]
65.5% of Franklin residents claim to be religious, of that 54.2% are Catholic, 3.0% are Jewish, 2.2% are Presbyterian, 1.7% are Episcopalian, while members of Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Buddhist, Pentecostal, Mormon, Hindu, Mennonite, and Muslim faiths make up less than 1.0% of the population each.[25]
Religious Institutions in Franklin:
New England Chapel, Christian, 40 Kenmore Circle
St. Mary's Parish, Catholic, 1 Church Square
Franklin Federated Church, United Church of Christ, 171 Main Street
Crossway Church, Non-denominational Christianity, 282 Summer Street
Franklin United Methodist Church, Methodist, 82 W Central Street
St. John's, Episcopal, 237 Pleasant Street
Grace Baptist Church, Baptist, 69 Beaver Street
Anglican Church of the Redeemer, Anglican, 31 Hayward Street
First Universalist Society, Unitarian Universalist, 262 Chestnut Street
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mormon or LDS, 91 Jordan Road
Temple Etz Chaim, Jewish Synagogue, 900 Washington Street
Christian Science Society, Christian Science, 29 Dean Avenue
Kingdom Hall, Jehovah's Witness, 250 Maple Street
Providence Baptist Church, Baptist, 308 W Central Street
Education
The Franklin Public Schools have six elementary schools, three middle schools, and one high school. Franklin is also home to Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School and one charter school (Grades K - 8).
Franklin High School constructed a new high school building and tore down the old one in 2014.[26]
The Red Brick School is a historic school in the town. It was used at various times for kindergarten through 4th grade students; sometimes for multiple grades simultaneously. It was one of the longest running one-room schools in America.[citation needed]
The Town of Franklin is also home to Dean College, founded in 1865, a private residential college with over 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) and also offers bachelor's programs in Arts and Entertainment Management, Psychology, Sociology, History, English, Business, Marketing, Criminal Justice and Homeland Security Management, Sport Management, Sport Fitness, Recreation and Coaching, Dance, Liberal Arts & Studies, and Theater.
Points of interest
As noted, the Franklin Public Library is the first public library in America,[citation needed] the original books of which were donated by Benjamin Franklin. Across the street from the library is Dean College.
At one end of Franklin's Historic District is the little Red Brick School. Its classroom, believed to be one of the oldest public school in the United States, but is not still functioning, celebrated its 175th birthday in 2008.
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 includes stops to the Municipal Building, Senior Center, Franklin Public Library, and the Franklin Village Shopping center.
Franklin - Wikipedia
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Franklin
Franklin
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What an outstanding fact sheet TSgt Joe C. on my current town, The Town of Franklin, Massachusetts!!! I learned more from this Post than I previously knew! It is a great Town and at one Point, before my wife and I moved there, I was a director within the United Chamber of Commerce, headquartered in Franklin... I also worked for Costello Realty for a short while, which still is a notable real estate company, now located diagonally across from St. Mary's Church!
This town is almost equidistant from the three cities in Massachusetts. Worcester, MA, Boston, MA and Providence, RI, by some 20 plus miles to each city! US Route 495 bisects Franklin with Exits 16 and 17 and has great access to the Cape and the Islands, Rhode Island, New Hampshire just to name a few major areas... Off shoots of US-495, are US-95 North and South, US-93 North and US-90 East/West, providing residents of Franklin with easy access to almost anywhere in New England by major highway system...
It is a great town to live in Brother Joe...
This town is almost equidistant from the three cities in Massachusetts. Worcester, MA, Boston, MA and Providence, RI, by some 20 plus miles to each city! US Route 495 bisects Franklin with Exits 16 and 17 and has great access to the Cape and the Islands, Rhode Island, New Hampshire just to name a few major areas... Off shoots of US-495, are US-95 North and South, US-93 North and US-90 East/West, providing residents of Franklin with easy access to almost anywhere in New England by major highway system...
It is a great town to live in Brother Joe...
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SCPO Morris Ramsey SFC William Farrell SPC Mark Huddleston SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth LTC John Shaw SGT Jim Arnold SFC George Smith (Join to see) CPT Scott Sharon Sgt Albert Castro SSgt (Join to see) CWO3 Dennis M. SGT Gregory Lawritson SPC Margaret Higgins PO1 H Gene Lawrence SSG William Jones Cynthia Croft Sgt Deborah Cornatzer PO1 William "Chip" Nagel PVT Mark Zehner
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