National Register of Historic Places

Franklin Common Historic District

Franklin, Norfolk County, Massachusetts
Listed
March 30, 2005
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
05000218

About this property

The Franklin Common Historic District is a historic district encompassing the traditional village center of Franklin, Massachusetts. The primary focus of the district is the town common, a roughly triangular green which took shape in the mid-18th century. The district includes the buildings that abut the green, and extends northward along Main Street to its junction with Lincoln Street, where the Red Brick School is located. The Dean Junior College Historic District abuts this district to the south. The district is predominantly residential in character, with several civic and religious institutional buildings facing the common. The latter group are dominated by the Federated Church (Shingle style, built 1895), and the Roman Catholic St. Mary's Church complex, which includes three buildings from the 1920s to 1955. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

Location

Franklin, Norfolk County, Massachusetts
42.08924, -71.40106

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTEDUCATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Franklin Common Historic District

This page lists Franklin Common Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Red Brick School
Industrial
0.3 mi
Dean Junior College Historic District
Listed
0.3 mi
Medway Village Historic District
Early Republic
3.5 mi
Plimpton-Winter House
Industrial
4 mi
Roebuck Tavern
Early Republic
4.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Franklin Common Historic District listed on the National Register?

Franklin Common Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 30, 2005.

What type of historic resource is Franklin Common Historic District?

Franklin Common Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Franklin Common Historic District?

The period of significance for Franklin Common Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Franklin Common Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Franklin Common Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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