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Franklin, Georgia
The old Heard County gas station was built in 1938 and features a vintage, hand-painted Coca-Cola advertisement.
The old Heard County gas station was built in 1938 and features a vintage, hand-painted Coca-Cola advertisement.
Location in Heard County and the state of Georgia
Location in Heard County and the state of Georgia
Country United States
State Georgia
County Heard
Named for Benjamin Franklin
Area
 • Total 3.35 sq mi (8.68 km2)
 • Land 3.21 sq mi (8.31 km2)
 • Water 0.14 sq mi (0.36 km2)
Elevation
663 ft (202 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 950
 • Density 295.95/sq mi (114.26/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
30217
Area code(s) 706
FIPS code 13-31292
GNIS feature ID 0314347

Franklin is a city in Heard County, Georgia, United States. The population was 950 in 2020. Franklin is the county seat of Heard County. The city is named after Benjamin Franklin.

History

Franklin was settled in 1770, and was designated seat of the newly formed Heard County in 1831. The town was hit by a tornado just before midnight on March 25, 2021, with multiple areas in downtown being heavily damaged with the most severe damage being rated high-end EF2. The tornado later became violent and hit nearby Newnan, Georgia to the east at EF4 strength, indirectly killing one person.

Geography

Franklin is located in central Heard County at 33°16′47″N 85°05′54″W / 33.279788°N 85.098403°W / 33.279788; -85.098403, along the Chattahoochee River. U.S. Route 27 passes through the east side of the city on a bypass, leading north 23 miles (37 km) to Carrollton and south 19 miles (31 km) to LaGrange. Georgia State Route 34 passes through the center of Franklin, leading northeast 20 miles (32 km) to Newnan and southwest 12 miles (19 km) to the Alabama border. Georgia State Route 100 joins SR 34 for part of its path through Franklin, but leads northwest 14 miles (23 km) to Ephesus and southeast 14 miles to Hogansville.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Franklin has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.0 km2), of which 3.4 square miles (8.7 km2) are land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km2), or 4.00%, are water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 269
1890 250 −7.1%
1900 218 −12.8%
1910 340 56.0%
1920 317 −6.8%
1930 312 −1.6%
1940 390 25.0%
1950 425 9.0%
1960 603 41.9%
1970 749 24.2%
1980 711 −5.1%
1990 876 23.2%
2000 902 3.0%
2010 993 10.1%
2020 950 −4.3%
U.S. Decennial Census
Franklin racial composition as of 2020
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 625 65.79%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 217 22.84%
Native American 3 0.32%
Asian 20 2.11%
Other/Mixed 64 6.74%
Hispanic or Latino 21 2.21%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 950 people, 421 households, and 215 families residing in the city.

Education

Heard County School District

The Heard County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 132 full-time teachers and over 2,278 students.

Old Heard County Jail

Heard County Jail (Franklin, Georgia)
Old Heard County Jail in 2012

Pauly Jail Company of Alabama built the jail in 1912 for $7,500, using plans by Manly Jail Works of Dalton, Georgia. It replaced an older jail built in 1880 that had become unfit. The jail housed up to 16 prisoners upstairs. The Heard County Sheriff (there were eight sheriffs from 1912–1964) and his family lived downstairs. In the 1930s, two prisoners cut the window bars and escaped. Death row prisoners were held here, but the jail's gallows were never used. In 1964, a new county jail opened on the Franklin Square and the old jail closed.

The jail was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 27, 1981. In 1987 it was completely restored by the Heard County Historical Society. It now serves as a museum and historical center.

Gallery

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Franklin (Georgia) para niños

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