Franklin was founded in 1741 by the French during the French and Indian War, where French Creek meets the Allegheny River. When the British saw the French had built a fort, they sent George Washington, who would later become the nation's first president, to tell the French that the territory had already been claimed by the British. The French refused, and proceeded to amass an army (including local Indians) to attack Fort Pitt and Fort Dusquesne in modern Pittsburgh. When the British began to attack Fort Niagara, the French were forced to send their troops north and the territory was claimed by the British. After American independence from Great Britain, the layout of the city was redesigned by Andrew Ellicott, who also helped design the layout of Washington, D.C. With the discovery of oil in nearby Titusville in 1859, wealthy oil tycoons moved to Franklin, quickly changing Franklin from an unknown to a wealthy, bustling town. With large fires consuming the oil fields in 1892 and 1894, the wealthy dispersed as quickly as they had come.
Today, Franklin, together with Titusville and Oil City, is known as the Oil Region. Although the town remains rather quiet, the oil boom has left the city with many historic buildings. The architectural features range from Victorian to Gothic Revival; it is said that all of the architectural styles used in the state from 1830 to 1930 can be observed in Franklin. The Episcopal Church also shows off the city's former wealth, with its complete collection of Tiffany Windows and mahogany pews. The Appalachian Mountains and forests that surround the area also make it a popular destination for hikers and bikers looking to get out of the cities to experience nature.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Franklin (Venango County)
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Franklin (Venango County) - updated May 2024
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Franklin (Venango County) Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
