Franklin Municipal Properties

Franklin proudly owns a quite a number of new or recently-built municipal properties, the aggregate cost of which totals many tens of millions of dollars of capital investment.

All the recent construction of municipal properties says a lot of positive things about the overall vitality of the Franklin, MA community and the vision of its leaders.

In addition to a new Franklin Town Hall, other examples of the recent new construction of Franklin municipal properties include: the new Senior Center, the new Franklin Fire Headquarters, and the recently built King Street fire station. 

In terms of recent construction in the Franklin, MA Public School system, one can point to the Helen Keller,  Jefferson, and Oak Street Elementary Schools as well as the three new middle schools serving Franklin (the Sullivan, Remington, and Horace Mann Middle Schools).

Also recently refurbished is the Franklin Historical Museum now located on West Central Street. 

Though certainly not new, the Franklin Town Common and the Franklin Public Library are the crown jewels of Franklin’s municipal properties.

And finally, though not town-owned, the Staff Sgt. Robert Pirelli Veteran’s Skating Rink in Franklin, MA deserves highlighting because of the important role it plays in Franklin youth sports.

Taken together, the many beautiful new municipal buildings gracing Franklin, MA and the other fine public properties in town help make Franklin, MA a place you can be proud to call home!

From the category archives:

Municipal Properties

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                    [post_content] => The Town Common in Franklin, MA plays an important role in the Franklin community.  If you’re thinking about buying a home in Franklin or just want to learn more about the area, there’s no better introduction to the special quality of life in Franklin, Massachusetts than getting the know what goes on at the Common.

Beautiful 4 acre grounds

Here’s a video giving you a quick tour of the Franklin, MA Town Common:



Plenty of fun events

There are many activities and special events held on the Common every year.

You can lean a lot about the character of the Franklin community (and have fun as well) by attending some of these festivities.

Below is just a partial list of annual happenings at the Town Common in Franklin, Massachusetts; click the photos or the follow the hyperlinks to learn more about each activity:

Concerts on the Common

Franklin MA Concert Common Sign

Fourth of July Festival

Franklin MA 4th July11

Farmers' Market

Franklin MA Farmers Market

Holiday Lighting of Town Common

Franklin MA Light Common3

Click to see homes for sale in Franklin, MA and surrounding communities in Massachusetts.

Copyright ©2010 02038.com
                    [post_title] => How to get to know Franklin, MA by visiting the Town Common
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                    [post_content] => The Franklin, MA Historical Museum officially opened last Friday at its new location at 80 West Central Street in Downtown Franklin.  The former site of the Senior Center, the previously neglected but now beautifully refurbished antique building provides another boost to on-going efforts to revitalize Franklin’s Downtown area.

Franklin MA Historical Museum opens 1

An impressive new Museum

It's fantastic that a town with about 31,000 residents out in the suburban I-495 loop like Franklin, MA can have such a nice facility devoted to showcasing the community's past.

Franklin MA Historical Museum opens 3

Friday evening’s opening ceremonies provided town residents with a special first look at the sparkling new interior and all the historical artifacts and memorabilia from Franklin’s past now displayed there.

Here’s a video of the evening’s events with an overview of just some of what you’ll find at the Museum:



Hours of operation

The Museum is free to the public and open throughout the year on the following schedule:

Thursdays, 5PM to 8PM   (closed on days schools close due to snow)
Saturdays, 10AM to 1PM
Sundays, 1PM to 4PM

Another enhancement to Downtown Franklin, Massachusetts

The new Downtown location for the Historical Museum is just one of many recent upgrades to the Downtown area.

Franklin’s Downtown has recently benefited from the major new construction projects, including a new $9.3 million fire station headquarters and $30 million mixed-use Franklin Center Commons.

The area also received streetscape facelifts funded by separate $5 million Federal and $1 million State grants.

The Franklin Downtown Partnership strives hard to help support downtown business and keep the Downtown area on the upswing.

Interesting exhibits

The Museum’s interior is brand new, with finish work contributed by the students at the Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical School in Franklin, MA.  All the display cases and bookshelves were built by Vo Tech students.

Franklin MA Historical Museum opens 5

Displays include Native American arrowheads and stone implements discovered at archeological sites in Franklin, antique tools from Franklin’s rich industrial-age past and an extensive collection of Civil War artifacts.  There are also many photos and documents detailing everyday life in the Town of Franklin from the 1920s through the 1950s.

The Historical Museum in Franklin, Massachusetts is well worth a visit!

Copyright ©2010 02038.com
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                    [post_content] => The Union Street Cemetery is a seemingly overlooked jewel of Franklin MA’s Downtown area.  Many people drive by this parcel of land at the corner of Union and West Central Streets in Franklin, Massachusetts on an almost daily basis and don’t realize how extensive and beautiful it is. 

Union Street Cemetery Franklin MA 1

Visit well worth the time

You can easily spend a half an hour or more walking through the grounds, reading ancient grave makers and enjoying the peace and solitude that exists right in the heart of Franklin. A visit will be well worth your time.

Union Street Cemetery Franklin MA 2

Famous Franklin families

Several important and influential Franklin families have plots in this cemetery, including:

Oliver Dean - founder of Dean College.

Oliver Dean Franklin MA

The Fletcher family– a wealthy family of Franklin whose descendants included Austin Barclay Fletcher, whose testamentary bequests helped found the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

Fletcher Family Franklin MA

The Ray family – a very important family in Franklin’s history.  Various Ray family members gave the funds to build the Franklin Public Library, the old central fire station (since torn down and replaced with a new structure), the Gazebo at the Town Commons and also left their homes to Dean College.  The impressive Ray Mansion serves as the admissions office at Dean.

Ray Family Franklin MA

Poignant reminders of man’s mortality

There are 100s of graves of less wealthy Franklin families at the Union Street Cemetery.  I didn’t spend the time needed to find the oldest markers, but many grave stones date back to the early and mid 1800s.

Union Street Cemetery Franklin MA 5

One poignant group of graves date from 1836 to 1842 and belong to three young children of the Allen family.  These children died at the tragically young ages of 9 months, 11 days and 1 day, respectively.  These graves certainly make one value the benefits of modern childhood medicine.

Copyright ©2009 02038.com
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                    [post_content] => The graceful gazebo on the Franklin MA Town Common is getting some much-needed attention.  An puzzling original design flaw is being corrected.  The structure is getting a new broader roof, new electric lights, new railings and a general refurbishing.

Franklin MA Town Common gazebo repairs 1

Franklin treasure since 1918

The focal point of the summertime Concerts on the Franklin Common and several cherished annual holiday events including the July Fourth Celebration and the Holiday Lighting of the Common, the gazebo has suffered substantial deterioration over the years since it was built in 1918.

Poorly designed roof

Much of the damage stemmed from an inexplicably flawed roof design. 

As outlined in an article the Milford Daily News originally published back in February, the circular roof of the gazebo was built with a too narrow radius.  This left the brick and mortar base exposed to the elements.

Repeated cycles of freezing and thawing of winter ice and snow have eaten away at the gazebo base.  Clay roof tiles have also broken, allowing the underlying wood structure to rot.

More photos of the work to date

Franklin MA Town Common gazebo repairs 2

Franklin MA Town Common gazebo repairs 3

Quarter million dollar job

Cost estimates back in February for making the roof larger and doing the other improvements to the gazebo totaled approximately $250,000.  The expense is well worth it as it will help assure many future generations get to enjoy this wonderful Franklin, MA landmark!

Click here learn more about Franklin, Massachusetts.

Copyright ©2009 02038.com
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                    [post_content] => The Franklin Town Common is a 4 acre oasis of green grass and shade trees bordered on two sides by gracious antique homes.

franklin-ma-town-common-view

The Common is also adjacent to Franklin’s prestigious Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School and the historic Hayward Manor (the latter is located at 195 Main Street in Franklin, MA).

The Franklin Town Common features a brick gazebo bandstand dating back to 1917 (a gift of the Hayward family) . . .

franklin-ma-town-common-gazebo

several war memorials  . . .

franklin-ma-war-memorial

and pleasant walkways that crisscross the grounds.

franklin-ma-town-common-walk

Like many town commons in New England, it’s a nice spot for a picnic.  But the Town Common in Franklin, MA serves a central role in the life of the Franklin, MA community well beyond providing a shady spot to rest and to have an outdoor lunch. 

The Franklin Town Common is the site of many fairs, festivals and public events that unite the town and contribute to Franklin’s unique identity.  It’s the focal point of much of what makes Franklin Franklin!

 

[caption id="attachment_2211" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Summer Concerts on the Common"]Summer Concerts on the Common[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_2212" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="July 4th Celebration"]July 4th Celebration[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_2213" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Farmer’s Market"]Farmer’s Market[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_2219" align="alignnone" width="301" caption="Holiday Lighting of the Common"]Holiday Lighting of the Common[/caption]

 

 [gallery=63]

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[post_title] => Franklin, MA Town Common [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => franklin-ma-town-common [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2009-06-22 09:37:22 [post_modified_gmt] => 2009-06-22 14:37:22 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://www.02038.com/?p=2202 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [post_category] => 0 ) [5] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2175 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2009-02-10 13:28:59 [post_date_gmt] => 2009-02-10 18:28:59 [post_content] => In November, 2007, the Franklin Senior Center officially opened in its new home located at 10 Daniel McCahill St, Franklin, MA. franklin-ma-senior-center The $6.2 million, 16,000 square foot building is very spacious and pleasant.  It features a 2,000+ square foot common room, greenhouse/solarium, computer lab, compact gym, and café. The Center offers services for seniors and the disabled including recreational activities, health and wellness programs, information and referral services, and access to affordable meals and transportation.  The Senior Center in Franklin, MA seeks to foster the physical independence, social engagement and economic well-being of older and disabled Franklin residents. Services are available to all Franklin resident 60 years or older and to the disabled. Franklin Senior Center 10 Daniel McCahill Street Franklin, MA 02038 508-520-4945 http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Senior/index Click here to learn about the Franklin Fire Headquarters, another recently-constructed building owned by Franklin, MA. Copyright ©2009 02038.com [gallery=62] [post_title] => Franklin, MA Senior Center [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => franklin-ma-senior-center [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2009-06-22 13:43:39 [post_modified_gmt] => 2009-06-22 18:43:39 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://www.02038.com/?p=2175 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [post_category] => 0 ) [6] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2130 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2009-02-09 13:58:29 [post_date_gmt] => 2009-02-09 18:58:29 [post_content] => In another positive development for Franklin, MA’s downtown area, a new $9.3 million central fire station opened in the town center in 2008. franklin-ma-fire-headquarters-1 Called the Franklin Fire Headquarters, the impressive 22,000-square-foot facility replaced the old, outmoded and crumbling Headquarters which was built in 1922.  The new Fire Headquarters occupies the site of the former Headquarters on West Central Street in Franklin, MA.  The gleaming new station certainly improves the look and feel of the downtown area. Beyond the improved aesthetics, town officials have stressed that the new building’s larger vehicle bays were needed to accommodate today’s larger fire trucks and that the state-of-the-art dispatch system will improve efficiency. The new Fire Headquarters includes a modern town emergency command center, decontamination areas for emergencies involving hazardous materials, and a new walk-in medical services room.  Better working conditions for fire department staff are apparent in the new separate male and female showers and individual bedrooms (which replace the single shower and same-sex dormitory of the old facility). Click here to see the Franklin Historical Museum, another exciting upgrade to the Franklin, MA downtown area! Copyright ©2009 02038.com [gallery=64] [post_title] => New Fire Headquarters Franklin, MA [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => new-fire-headquarters [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2009-02-14 08:09:21 [post_modified_gmt] => 2009-02-14 13:09:21 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://www.02038.com/?p=2130 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [post_category] => 0 ) [7] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2119 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2009-02-09 12:59:59 [post_date_gmt] => 2009-02-09 17:59:59 [post_content] => The newly renamed Franklin Historical Museum has moved to its new location in the heart of downtown Franklin, MA.  (Its former name was the Horace Mann Museum.) franklin-historical-museum-2 The Museum has taken over a graceful antique wooden structure at 80 West Central Street in Franklin, MA. The building formerly was the site of the Franklin Senior Center (which itself recently moved to a beautiful new building in Franklin). The relocation of the Museum to the old senior center site has helped further improve the Franklin downtown area.  The Museum will be a prime tourist attraction and also occasioned the renovation of the structure which will be its home. Back in December 2007, the Franklin Town Council approved $210,000 for improvements to get the building ready house the Museum. New columns, front steps and modern windows were installed.   Exterior work was completed in November 2008. The Franklin Historical Museum is slated to reopen in Spring 2009.  Interior remodeling will be completed and displays set up. The Museum exhibits will include stone arrowheads unearthed at Franklin’s Beaver Pond, antique uniforms and straw hats, machinery and other articles from Franklin’s industrial past, and lots of photos! franklin-historical-museum-5 A $20,000 state grant helped defray the cost of the “Hats Off to Franklin” statue that now graces the front of the Franklin Historical Museum. The statue’s straw hat was chosen to represent town’s industrial heritage as a center of US of straw hat manufacturing. (I have read somwhere that the all the straw hats used in the movie Gone with the Wind were made in Franklin, MA.) Click here to read about the Franklin Public Library, a very important piece of Franklin, MA's history. Click here to learn more about efforts to upgrade and beautify Downtown Franklin, MA.

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[gallery=61] [post_title] => Franklin Historical Museum [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => franklin-historical-museum [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2011-03-02 15:28:45 [post_modified_gmt] => 2011-03-02 20:28:45 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://www.02038.com/?p=2119 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 1 [filter] => raw [post_category] => 0 ) ) [post] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 5509 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2010-05-23 09:46:50 [post_date_gmt] => 2010-05-23 14:46:50 [post_content] => The Town Common in Franklin, MA plays an important role in the Franklin community.  If you’re thinking about buying a home in Franklin or just want to learn more about the area, there’s no better introduction to the special quality of life in Franklin, Massachusetts than getting the know what goes on at the Common. Beautiful 4 acre grounds Here’s a video giving you a quick tour of the Franklin, MA Town Common: Plenty of fun events There are many activities and special events held on the Common every year. You can lean a lot about the character of the Franklin community (and have fun as well) by attending some of these festivities. Below is just a partial list of annual happenings at the Town Common in Franklin, Massachusetts; click the photos or the follow the hyperlinks to learn more about each activity: Concerts on the Common Franklin MA Concert Common Sign Fourth of July Festival Franklin MA 4th July11 Farmers' Market Franklin MA Farmers Market Holiday Lighting of Town Common Franklin MA Light Common3 Click to see homes for sale in Franklin, MA and surrounding communities in Massachusetts. Copyright ©2010 02038.com [post_title] => How to get to know Franklin, MA by visiting the Town Common [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => get-to-know-franklin-ma-town-common [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2010-06-27 07:16:02 [post_modified_gmt] => 2010-06-27 12:16:02 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://www.02038.com/?p=5509 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [post_category] => 0 ) [queried_object] => stdClass Object ( [term_id] => 5 [name] => Municipal Properties [slug] => municipal-properties [term_group] => 0 [term_order] => 0 [term_taxonomy_id] => 5 [taxonomy] => category [description] => Franklin MA Town Owned Properties [parent] => 3 [count] => 9 [cat_ID] => 5 [category_count] => 9 [category_description] => Franklin MA Town Owned Properties [cat_name] => Municipal Properties [category_nicename] => municipal-properties [category_parent] => 3 ) [queried_object_id] => 5 )

Franklin, MA Town Common

by Warren Reynolds

The Franklin Town Common is a 4 acre oasis of green grass and shade trees bordered on two sides by gracious antique homes. The Common is also adjacent to Franklin’s prestigious Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School and the historic Hayward Manor (the latter is located at 195 Main Street in Franklin, MA). The Franklin [...]

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Franklin, MA Senior Center

by Warren Reynolds

In November, 2007, the Franklin Senior Center officially opened in its new home located at 10 Daniel McCahill St, Franklin, MA. The $6.2 million, 16,000 square foot building is very spacious and pleasant.  It features a 2,000+ square foot common room, greenhouse/solarium, computer lab, compact gym, and café. The Center offers services for seniors and [...]

In another positive development for Franklin, MA’s downtown area, a new $9.3 million central fire station opened in the town center in 2008. Called the Franklin Fire Headquarters, the impressive 22,000-square-foot facility replaced the old, outmoded and crumbling Headquarters which was built in 1922.  The new Fire Headquarters occupies the site of the former Headquarters [...]

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Franklin Historical Museum

by Warren Reynolds

The newly renamed Franklin Historical Museum has moved to its new location in the heart of downtown Franklin, MA.  (Its former name was the Horace Mann Museum.) The Museum has taken over a graceful antique wooden structure at 80 West Central Street in Franklin, MA. The building formerly was the site of the Franklin Senior [...]

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The Town Common in Franklin, MA plays an important role in the Franklin community.  If you’re thinking about buying a home in Franklin or just want to learn more about the area, there’s no better introduction to the special quality of life in Franklin, Massachusetts than getting the know what goes on at the Common. Beautiful [...]

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The Franklin, MA Historical Museum officially opened last Friday at its new location at 80 West Central Street in Downtown Franklin.  The former site of the Senior Center, the previously neglected but now beautifully refurbished antique building provides another boost to on-going efforts to revitalize Franklin’s Downtown area. An impressive new Museum It’s fantastic that a [...]

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Union Street Cemetery, Franklin, MA

by Warren Reynolds on November 19, 2009

The Union Street Cemetery is a seemingly overlooked jewel of Franklin MA’s Downtown area.  Many people drive by this parcel of land at the corner of Union and West Central Streets in Franklin, Massachusetts on an almost daily basis and don’t realize how extensive and beautiful it is.  Visit well worth the time You can [...]

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Beloved gazebo on Franklin Common gets facelift

by Warren Reynolds on October 24, 2009

The graceful gazebo on the Franklin MA Town Common is getting some much-needed attention.  An puzzling original design flaw is being corrected.  The structure is getting a new broader roof, new electric lights, new railings and a general refurbishing. Franklin treasure since 1918 The focal point of the summertime Concerts on the Franklin Common and [...]