|
Welcome to the Town of Franklin, Massachusetts
A great place to live, work and do business! One of the “Best Town’s for Families” The Town of Franklin was named one of Family Circle’s 2007 "Ten Best Towns for Families" in the United States. This honor was bestowed on Franklin and nine other towns and small cities "that offer what parents and children want most - affordable homes, good jobs, top-rated schools, open spaces and a lot less stress".
Franklin, Massachusetts. The safest city/town in the United States? According to NeighborhoodScout.com that tracks data culled from FBI and other law enforcement agencies, yes, Franklin was ranked < safest city with a population over 25,000. Refer to NeighborhoodScout.com.
Community, Culture, and Quality of Life
The Town of Franklin is a family oriented and a vibrant community with abundant activities for all residents; some of the community’s active civic, sports, religious, and youth organizations include: Franklin Lions Club, Boy Scouts & Girl Scouts of America, Knights of Columbus, Franklin Art Association, Franklin Garden Club, Circle of Friends Coffeehouse, Franklin Rod and Gun Club, Hockomock Area YMCA, Metacomet Land Trust, LiveARTS, Franklin Performing Arts Company, and many youth sports organizations.
Franklin Boasts a new state of the art high school and newly renovated public schools, new historic museum and senior center, an outstanding public library, fourteen recreational fields and playgrounds, significant cultural resources.
Entertainment
You don't need to leave Franklin to be entertained since there are many family orientated events and activities throughout the year including the following annual events: the Feast of St. Rocco, Concerts on the Common Wednesday evenings during the summer, Franklin’s four day long 4th of July Celebration, and the Downtown Franklin Partnership’s Strawberry Stroll, Harvest Festival and Holiday Stroll. Franklin is also home to the Franklin School of Performing Arts and Dean College Performing Arts where you can see live performances throughout the year.
Restaurants
Franklin has a myriad of more than 50 fine restaurants, coffee and pizza shops! There is something for everyone. Restaurants
Shopping in Franklin
Franklin has three major supermarket chains, three shopping plazas that include the stores Marshalls, Bob’s, Dress Barn , Big Lots, Men’s Wearhouse and Bath & Body Works to name a few . We also have many speciality shops in our downtown Downtown partnership
First Public Library. In 1778, when the town was incorporated, the designated name Exeter was changed to Franklin in honor of Dr. Benjamin Franklin, who responded with a gift of 116 books for use by the Town's residents. On November 20th, 1790, those attending Franklin's town meeting voted to lend the books to all Franklin inhabitants free of charge. This vote established the Franklin collection as the first public library in the United States. The original Franklin collection is still housed in a book case in Franklin Public Library's Reading Gallery.
Historic Resources
Franklin prides itself on the wide spectrum of architectural styles preserved in the community, including handsome Greek revival and Italianate buildings, as well as High Victorian Gothic, Second Empire and Queen Ann, among others. Many of these historic structures are home to the offices and dormitories of Dean College, and within the community’s two National Historic Districts.
Education
Education is of the utmost importance in the Town of Franklin. The community’s public school system consists of 1 preschool, 6 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and a new state of the art High School, as well as the Tri-County Regional Vocational High School. In addition, Franklin contains Ben Franklin Classical Charter School, Cornerstone Christian Academy, and Dean College.
Dedication to education is reflected in test results and national rankings of the Town of Franklin’s public and private schools. In 2008, Franklin was categorized as a “high performance” school district. Students in Franklin surpassed state and national averages for MCAS testing with an average scoring of “high” or “very high” in every category.
Franklin’s ideal location between Providence, Boston, and Worcester positions it within 30 miles of over 100 higher education and vocational training institutions, including State universities, colleges and community colleges, Ivy League schools and many other well know private colleges and universities, including some of the best research and engineering universities in the country.
Please follow the link for a brochure related to Education in Franklin.
General Information
The Town of Franklin is a suburban industrial community on the watershed between the Charles and the Blackstone Rivers, 22 miles southwest of Boston.. Settled in 1676, Franklin spent its first hundred years as the western part of the Town of Wrentham. Incorporated on February 16, 1778, Franklin became the first town in the United States to name itself in honor of the great statesman, Benjamin Franklin.
County Norfolk
Year Established 1778
Form of Government Home Rule Charter, Town Council, Town Administrator
School Structure K-12
Tax Rate $14.45 per $1,000 (2014 FY)
Population - 2013 Town Report
33,186
Geography
Location: The Town of Franklin is located within Norfolk County in southeastern Massachusetts, within 30 miles of Boston, Providence and Worcester, New England’s 3 largest cities.
Total Area 27.01 Square Miles
Land Area 26.7 Square Miles
Water Area 0.3 Square Miles
Elevation 303 Feet
U.S.G.S. Topographical Plates
Transportation Resources
Franklin enjoys good transportation networks with Route 140, two exits to Interstate 495, and easy access to major routes such as Interstate 90 (Massachusetts Turnpike), Interstate 95, Route 1 and Route 126. Interstate 495 positioned Franklin as a major regional distribution center for goods and as a regional employment center. In addition to a well integrated roadway system, Franklin is host to two MBTA commuter rail stations, and has fixed route bus service through the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority.
Local Economy
The Town of Franklin is a growth community with a pro-business environment, a low stable single tax rate, streamlined permitting processes, ample industrial land, modernized infrastructure, excellent municipal services, well educated work force, diverse housing opportunities and a great quality of life. Predominately a manufacturing town, Franklin is host to such nationally and regionally known firms as EMC, Garelick Farms, Vacumet Corporation, ZeptoMetrix Corporation, and Tegra Medical. Franklin is home to dozens of research and development and manufacturing companies, and have attracted innovative technology companies in a wide range of industries: nanotechnology, data storage, specialty materials, life sciences - biotechnology, and medical devices.
Industrial Parks
The Town's industrial parks house a substantial number and variety of businesses, including research and development and manufacturing companies.
|
