Robinson Manhattan and Bronx Plate 01 detail publ

Franklin Square was a square in Manhattan on the intersection of

Pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle (mollusc), mantle) of a living Exoskeleton, shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pear ...

, Dover and

Cherry A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet '' Prunus avium'' and the sour '' Prunus cerasus''. The na ...

Streets. The

Third Avenue El The IRT Third Avenue Line, commonly known as the Third Avenue Elevated, Third Avenue El, or Bronx El, was an elevated railway in Manhattan and the Bronx, New York City. Originally operated by the New York Elevated Railway, an independent rai ...

, built in 1877–1878, ran over Franklin Square, and a

station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...

was built there. On its west side were the buildings of Harper's Publishing House. The station and square were demolished in 1950, replaced with the Franklin Square Bridge, part of the Manhattan access to the

Brooklyn Bridge The Brooklyn Bridge is a cable-stayed suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River. It w ...

. At the same time, the block of Cherry Street nearest the square was razed and replaced with the Alfred E. Smith Houses. The square was originally land owned by Walter Franklin, a highly successful late 18th century merchant, where he kept a mansion with surrounding gardens. The house itself, known as the Samuel Osgood House, was used by

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

as his residence the first year of his presidency. The house was demolished in 1856. In honor of Washington, the space was later named "St. George's Square". The space was then renamed Franklin Square in 1817, officially in honor of

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...

References

{{Reflist

External links

* NYPL Digital Gallery
Franklin Sq.
items, various dates * ''The Wilderness to the Sea'

an

Streets in Manhattan