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 Franklin Park is a full city block of enjoyment
One of the most peaceful, and least known city parks in B-N is Franklin Park, the centerpiece of the Franklin Square Historical District, just north of downtown Bloomington. Located a block north of Locust, a block east of Main, a block south of Empire and a block west of McLean Streets, this quiet little spot is itself a city block in size. The park, which is named for former Bloomington Mayor Franklin Price, was donated to the city in 1856 by William Flagg, David Davis and William Allin, and was the starting point for partisan torchlight parades in the late nineteenth century.
Today, lots of large, mature trees fill the park, where kids play on swings, area residents stroll, and the Bloomington Municipal Band performs each Thursday evening during the summer, generally accompanyied by an ice cream social.
Among the homes which form the square around the park are those lived in by former U.S. Vice President Adlai Stevenson I (901 N. McLean) and former Illinois Governor Joseph W. Fifer (909 N. McLean). Many of the homes were designed by architects Arthur Moratz, George Miller and Arthur Pillsbury. The Burr House, 210 E. Chestnut, is today one of B-N's three local Bed & Breakfasts, where weddings, receptions and quiet accomodations for business travelers keep its owners busy most of the year.
The park and bordering houses were listed on the National Register in 1976 and designated a local historic district in 1979. And yes, the wide variety of trees in Franklin Park provide a spectacular display of color when their leaves turn in the fall.
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