Franklin Square is one of the five original open-space parks planned by William Penn when he laid out the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1682. It is located in the Center City area, between North 6th and 7th Streets, and between Race Street and the Vine Street Expressway (I-676). The park went through a period of deterioration, but was refurbished and revitalized in 2006. It is now managed by Historic Philadelphia , a non-profit organization. Franklin Square was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1981. History Originally called North East Publick Square , Franklin Square was renamed in 1825 to honor Benjamin Franklin , one of the Founding Fathers of the United States . In its early years, the square was an open common used for grazing animals, storing gunpowder during the American Revolution and drilling soldiers during the War of 1812 . From 1741 to 1835, a portion of the Square was used as a cemetery by the German Reformed Church ; some of the graves still remain, marked by a Express yourself. Organize your knowledge. Expand your mind. Discover the world. Revolvy connects you with interesting topics, lists and quizzes. Choose from hundreds of quizzes that test your knowledge. Search through millions of topics. Create a your personalized library of topics, and discover topics that others are following.
