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Franklin
Township Hall
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It
was here on August 23, 1859 that James A. Garfield was nominated for
state senator. The picturesque building also served as Kent's first
school of higher learning (1842), the first meeting place for area Catholics
(1851), and the city's first high school (1868). Originally planned
as an office building for the Franklin Land Company (originally the
Franklin Silk Company), but construction was halted when the local silk
industry fizzled. The hall was finally completed in 1840 when funds
were raised from Franklin Township Trustees, the current owners and
local men. Stones were cut from along our river, brickes were made near
the present intersection of Summit and Water, and lumber was sawed by
the old Caris Mill, located near the present Stow Street bridge.
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