Franklin (pop. 7,212) is the seat of Venango County (pop. 57,565) in northwestern Pennsylvania.  Franklin has an urban cluster population of 9,727.  It is situated at the confluence of the Allegheny River and French Creek. 

 

The Franklin area was at the center of territorial conflict between the French and British in the mid-18th century (French & Indian War).  The French built Fort Machault at the site of present day Franklin in 1753.  This was to be the launching point for a French attack on Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh) in 1759.  However, the French abandoned and burned Fort Machault and moved north to protect Fort Niagara. 

 

The British built Fort Venango at this site in 1760.  The garrison was massacred by a surprise Indian attack during Pontiac's uprising in 1763.  The American Colonial Forces built Fort Franklin (named for Benjamin Franklin) here in 1787.  The city was platted in 1795, and its street system was designed by Andrew Ellicott, famed for his Washington DC plan. 

 

In 1859, Venango County gained worldwide prominence when Col. Edwin Drake drilled the first commercially successful oil well in the U.S. near Titusville.  Franklin rode the wave of the late 1800s oil boom, but differed from many nearby communities (like Oil City) in that it was already a long-established, mature community as opposed to a boomtown.  The oil boom did result in many fabulous mansions throughout the small city. 

 

Today, Franklin is a stable small town with a remarkably preserved and active downtown and beautiful residential streetscapes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love the asymmetrical towers of the Venango County Courthouse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

residential south of downtown

 

oldest house i saw

 

 

 

 

nice colours

 

French Creek

 

I saw a couple pineapple flags in Franklin... not sure what that represents

 

deco school

 

 

 

the neighborhood west of downtown has some really spectacular mansions

 

 

 

Franklin residents love their city flag!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

make sure to check out my other recent photo threads as the links have been fixed!

I'm going to have to do Pennsylvania county seats.

 

Great stuff!

wow yeah that is a distinctive courthouse. sharp looking housing too.

Great photographic composition and subject matter.

 

I've always liked the small, remote towns in the hills of western PA -- Franklin, Oil City, Warren, Youngsville, etc. I love their setting, their architecture and their self-sufficiency. If the world ended, you might never know it in those towns!

A pineapple is typically used as a symbol of friendship and hospitality. 

 

Im surprised at how intact, maintained and occupied some of these little Pennsylvania towns are...

Did they somehow escape the wallmart/mall on the outskirts that drained the majority of Ohios small towns (on top of the loss of industry), or are they just too remote to be effected by this?   

Downtown Franklin looks attractive AND fairly busy!  And I absolutely LOVE that photo of the courthouse towers peaking out of the valley!  Great job!

Warren, PA is even busier. It is actually "vibrant."

 

Think about it. In the hills and valleys of western Pennsylvania, where are you going to put a big box store with all the parking? In a big city like Pittsburgh, you level the top of a hill to build one. But you don't have the volume in a small town to make that kind of investment. That isn't to say there aren't Wal-Marts and Targets. There are. But they are often far from the town at the next nearest wide spot in the valley and therefore affect the existing downtowns less.

Fantastic little town!

Franklin ... Oil City ... even Tionesta, for cryin' out loud: small, remote burgs that look at least a bit busy and are filled with tidy, well-maintained, beautiful historic homes. Who lives there? Where do they get their money? These places look fairly prosperous.