 
Opened in 1837 at Canal and Lake Streets, Franklin is the
fifth oldest school in Chicago (which
currently boasts 655 public schools). It was called School District No. 5 until
1858, when the school board decided to name schools after
famous people.
A building was erected at Sedgwick and Division Streets in
1852, and there were several smaller branches throughout
the neighborhood. In 1869, a larger building was constructed
at the school’s current location. It was four stories
high, with four rooms on each floor, and an assembly hall
on the fourth floor.
In October of 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed all
15 Franklin school buildings. The city immediately put up
a stone-and-brick building on Franklin’s current lot
and, seven years later, added a 12-room school for the primary
grades.
In 1895, a state-of-the-art 24-room building was completed
on the south side of our campus along Goethe Street. Today,
you can still find the plaque honoring the original building
on Wells Street across from the campus park.
The school’s current building went up on the north
end of the campus in 1926. Originally used to alleviate crowding,
the building housed only Franklin’s kindergarten and
7th and 8th grades, sharing space with Lane Tech. In 1973,
the south building was torn down.
In 1979, Franklin Fine Arts Center was established for the
purpose of integration and a commitment to the arts. For
almost 30 years, students have explored, created, and developed
their artistic talents, from kindergarten through 8th grade.
Our goal is not only to provide the students with the knowledge
and skills necessary to achieve at a high academic level,
but also to encourage them to make a positive contribution
to society.
Artistically, Franklin graduates have become working actors,
scene designers, visual artists, graphic designers, singers,
dance teachers, and film directors. More than 80 percent
have gone on to college, including Yale and Harvard. We boast
lawyers, doctors, business entrepreneurs, police, and fire
fighters to name but a few other professions. Our alumni
are successful and productive members of society. We are
a school of distinction.
Located in Old Town on the Near North Side, Franklin effectively
serves a multi-cultural student body. By design, 30 percent
of the students reside within a one-and-a-half-mile radius
of the school. The remaining students live throughout Chicago,
which brings our school a culturally and socio-economically
diverse population. |
