Franklin

Franklin was first settled by Europeans in 1660 and officially incorporated during the American Revolution. It is home to the country's first public 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. 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. As of 2022, the city's population was 36,745, with a growth rate of 15.38% since 2015. 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. The Red Brick School was started in 1792, its building constructed in 1833, and was operational until 2008. It 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"). Franklin is located at 42°5N 71°24W (42.0891, 71.4069). 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 of water.

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. St. Mary's Catholic Church, located in central Franklin, is the largest Catholic parish in the Boston Archdiocese with some 15,000 members. The Red Brick School was started in 1792, its building constructed in 1833, and was operational until 2008. It 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 town is also home to the birthplace of America's father of public education, Horace Mann. It was hoped that Benjamin Franklin would donate a bell for a church steeple in the town, but he donated 116 books instead, including Night-Thoughts, James Janeway's Invisible Realities, and the works of John Locke. 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 ofAmerica's First Public Library at Franklin Massachusetts, 17 90 ~ 1990" to commemorate America's first public library and book collection.

Geography

Franklin is located at 42°5N 71°24W (42.0891, 71.4069). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 27.0 square miles (70 km²) Much of the town lies within the Charles 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. Significant public forests and parks include the Franklin State and the Franklin Town Forests. The extreme southwest corner of Franklin is part of the Blackstone River watershed, and the town is located on the edge of the Massachusetts Turnpike. The Town of Franklin has a population of 2,816. It is the largest town in Massachusetts, with the population of 1,788 at the end of the 2010 census. The population of Franklin was 2,716 at the start of the 2011 census, and it is expected to rise to 2,917 by the end. The city's population is 2,961 at the beginning of the 2015 census. It has an area of 26.7 square miles, or 69 km², of which 0.3 square miles is land and 0.78 km² is water. Franklin is the only town in the state to have a town hall, which was established in the early 1900s. It was the first city in Massachusetts to be incorporated in the 19th century.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, there were 31,852 people, 10,866 households, and 7,877 families residing in the town. 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, and 0.29 percent from other races. The median household income 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) 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. 65.5% of Franklin residents claim to be religious, of that 54.2 percent are Catholic. The population includes 28.5 percent under the age of 18, 6.5 per cent 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 average household size was 2.80, the average family size was 3.29, and there were 10,327 housing units at an average density of 386.2 per square mile (149.1/km²).

Government

The Town is located in Massachusetts's 4th congressional district and is currently represented by Jake Auchincloss. The town is represented in the Massachusetts General Court by Representative Jeffrey Roy and Senators Rebecca Rausch and Karen Spilka. It is part of the Massachusetts Senate's Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex district. The Town is also part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district. It has a population of 2,000 people. It was once known as the "Town of the Stars" and is now known as "The Town of the Skies" and "The town of the Rising Sun" It is located on the Massachusetts Turnpike, which was once called the "Turnpike Highway" and was later renamed the " Turnpikes Road" The town's name was changed to The Town of The Rising Sun in the 19th century. In the 20th century, the town was known as The Town Of The Rising sun, and later as the Town of Rising Sun. It now has a name of the same name, and is known for being a popular tourist destination in the Boston area. It also has a reputation for being very friendly and friendly to visitors to the town, especially in the summer months. Its residents are known for their outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking and camping. It's also known for its beautiful beaches, which are located in the town's central area. The  town is also home to a number of historic buildings, including the Massachusetts State House, which dates back to the 17th century and was built in the 1800s.

Education

Franklin Public Schools have five elementary schools serving K5, three middle schools serving 6-8, and one high school serving 912. There is one charter school (grades K8) The Town of Franklin is also home to Dean College, founded in 1865, a private residential college with over 1,100 students. Dean College offers bachelor's programs in Arts and Entertainment Management, Psychology, Sociology, History, English, Business, Marketing, Criminal Justice and Homeland Security Management, Sport Management and Recreation and Coaching. 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 the USA. The town is home to a number of non-profit organizations, including the Franklin Foundation and the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce, which helps the local economy. The Franklin area has a population of around 4,000. The school district has a budget of $1.2 million for the 2014-15 school year, up from $1 million in 2013-14. The district has an enrollment of about 6,000 students. The high school was built in 2014, replacing an old building that had been there since the 1950s. It is located in the center of the town, near the town's downtown area. It has a total enrollment of around 6,500 students, including about 1,200 students from private schools and the local community.

Points of interest

Franklin Public Library is the first public library in America. Original books of which were donated by Benjamin Franklin. Red Brick School is believed to be one of the oldest public schools in the United States. Dean College is across the street from the library. The library is located in the historic district of Franklin, New Jersey, near the New Jersey Turnpike and New York City's New York Harbor. It was built in 1808. It is located on the banks of the Susquehanna River, which runs through the center of the district. It celebrated its 175th birthday in 2008. It's believed to have been built in the early 1800s. It has a public library, but is not still functioning. It also has a college, Dean College, which was founded in 1809. It celebrates its 175rd birthday in 2009. It  is located near the site of Franklin's first public school, which is still in use today. Its classroom is called the "Red Brick School" and is located at the end of the street. The school celebrated its anniversary in 2008, and is still open today. The Franklin Public Library was built on the site in 1838. It opened its doors to the public in 1839. It remains open to this day. It contains the original books of Benjamin Franklin, who donated them to the Library of Congress in 1837. The original books were donated to the library by Franklin, and are still on display in the library's lobby. The Library is also on the grounds of Dean College.

Transportation

Franklin has easy access to major cities like Boston and Providence with its two exits along I-495. Commuter rail service from Boston's South Station is provided by the MBTA with the Forge Park/495 and Franklin/Dean College stops on its Franklin Line. Franklin is part of the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA) service region, which operates the Franklin Area Bus. Its route includes stops to the Municipal Building, Senior Center, Franklin Public Library, and the Franklin Village Shopping center.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Franklin, Norfolk County, Massachusetts = 26.9. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 35. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Franklin = 3.5 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 3,074 individuals with a median age of 36.4 age the population grows by 7.57% in Franklin, Norfolk County, Massachusetts population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,248.58 residents per square mile of area (482.08/km²). There are average 2.86 people per household in the 10,895 households with an average household income of $93,517 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 7.20% of the available work force and has dropped -4.07% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 24.66%. The number of physicians in Franklin per 100,000 population = 414.4.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Franklin = 48 inches and the annual snowfall = 46.1 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 112. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 203. 84 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 13.7 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 49, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Franklin, Norfolk County, Massachusetts which are owned by the occupant = 79.78%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 28 years with median home cost = $330,660 and home appreciation of 3.20%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $11.91 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $7,782 per student. There are 13.4 students for each teacher in the school, 1230 students for each Librarian and 892 students for each Counselor. 8.80% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 29.38% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 13.81% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).