Franklin Square

Franklin Square is a city park in Bloomington, Illinois, ringed by 36 houses that together form a Victorian-era neighborhood. The Square measures 591 by 330 feet and lies seven blocks northeast of the downtown courthouse square. Three local leaders deeded it in 1856 for public recreation, and it was named for Franklin Price, then mayor. The park keeps many original oak, maple, ash and buttonwood trees, while the streets on its north and south sides retain 1877 brick paving and sandstone curbs. Twenty-one of the surrounding homes date from the second half of the 1800s, in styles including Queen Anne, Italianate and Romanesque. Their consistent setbacks, spacing and street-facing facades give the area a unified character. Residents included Adlai E. Stevenson I, Governor Joseph W. Fifer, Congressman Frank Funk and attorney John T. Lillard. The park also hosted torch light parades and election celebrations. These features led to its listing as a historic district.