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Franklin Square |
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In the early 1800s this area was the center of the region's salt industry. Much of the area was so swampy it was unusable for any other purpose. From 1800 to 1900, 12 million tons of salt were produced here. In the late 19th century, with the salt industry in decline, this region evolved rapidly into the city's leading manufacturing and warehousing district. Products of all kinds were produced or distributed from this location, including brooms and baseball bats, metal furnishings and railway devices, typewriters and automobile gears. For more than fifty years, this "new industrial center, " was home to many of the City's leading manufacturers such as O. M. Edwards and New Process Gear In the mid 20th century much of this industry moved to the suburbs or out of the region altogether. Most of the buildings in this area became vacant and remained that way for decades. At the end of the 1980s there was one million square feet of vacant space in Franklin Square, an area equal in size to three Carrier Domes. A remarkable revival is occurring now in Franklin Square. Old industrial buildings have been transformed into elegant condominiums, new housing is being constructed, restaurants are opening and those businesses that were able to hang on are refurbishing their properties. |
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