ABriefHistoryofFranklinAcademy
FranklinAcademy,namedforAmericanstatesmanBenjaminFranklin,wasestablishedin 1820asaprivateboys’schoolofliberalarts.InJanuaryof1821,theGeneralAssemblyof Marylandofficiallyappointedninetrusteesandawardedthem$400forthecreationof theAcademy.
ClasseswerefirstheldinthehomeofMissMaryRichardsononMainStreet(218Main Streettoday).However,thetownrecognizedtheneedforarealschoolhouse.Enough moneywasraisedbypublicsubscription,bydonationsofmaterialsandlabor,andbya politicalbarbequesothatby1826thestudentsoccupiedabrandnewbuilding,thesame onethathousestodaypartoftheReisterstownBranchofBaltimoreCountyPublic Library.Additionally,acupolawasaddedthathousedtheschoolbell;itwasrungthevery firsttimeonJuly4,1826,tocelebratethe50thanniversaryoftheUnitedStates.That samebelliscurrentlylocatedatthepresentFranklinHighSchoolandisrungthefirstday ofschool,bythemostseniorfacultymember,tobegineachschoolyear.
Intheearliestdays,studentspaidtuitionandcouldchoosefromthreeacademicpaths: Classical($25yearly),Mathematical($16),andRudimentary($12).Hoursofattendance fromthevernaltotheautumnalequinoxwerefrom8:00AMtonoonandfrom2:00PMto 5PM.Fromtheautumnaltothevernalequinox,hourswerefrom9:00AMtonoonand from1:00PMto3:30PM.Twovacationsweregranted:onethree-weekonebeginningthe firstMondayinAugustandtheothertwo-weekonestartingonChristmasDay.Good FridayandJulyFourtheachmeritedoneday’svacation.
FranklinAcademywasoneoftheveryfewschoolsofitstypeinthegreaterarea.A numberofstudentscamefromfardistancesandhadtoboardintownduringtheweek andonlygohomeonweekends.Apopularstorypasseddown,whichwasrecently proven,saysthatEdgeAllanPoeappliedtobeateacherherein1831,buthisapplication wasnotacceptedbythetrustees.In1847thefirst“femaleteacheress”washiredandin 1849,therewasonegirlinattendance thedaughteroftheprincipal.
In1847,theMarylandGeneralAssemblypassedlegislationcreatingpublicschoolsin BaltimoreCounty.Twoyearslater,in1849,theplanofrentingoftheFranklinAcademy buildingtotheCountySchoolCommissionerswentintoeffect.Itwasn’tuntil1874that theschool,thefacilityhavinggreatlydeteriorated,wastotallyturnedovertotheCounty, andthefollowingyear,1875,itwasrenovated,remodeled,andgreatlyenlarged.The schoolwasthenreferredtoasReisterstownHighSchool,althoughstillnotregardedasa truehighschool.However,theschoolrankedasoneofthebestinitsclassintheStateof MarylandanditexcelledinitsrankingwiththeotherCountyschools.In1896,theschool
trulybecameahighschoolwhenninthgradewasadded,andthenamewaschanged again,thistimetoFranklinHighSchool,whichitremainstoday.
Bytheturnofthecentury,theoldschoolhadoutgrownitsbuildingand,in1905, studentsoccupiedabrandnewschoolhouseacrossAcademyLane(nowCockey’sMill Road),constructedwherethepresentmiddleschooladditionstands.Veryshortly, increasedattendanceandpopulationrequiredanadditiontothisstructure,doublingit insize,whichwasoccupiedin1914.Atthistimetheelementaryschoolchildrenmoved overfromtheoldAcademyandsharedthepremises.The1905/1914buildingremained inuseuntil1965whenitwasdemolished.
Theyear1930sawyetanotherhighschoolerectedtoservetheboomingarea,thisone costingoverone-quarterofamillion dollarsandtoutedas“BaltimoreCounty’smostmodernandbest-equippededucational plant.”Itstillstandstodayasthemiddle schoolattheintersectionofReisterstownandCockey’sMillroads.
Bytheearly1950s,itbecameapparentthattheReisterstown,Glyndon,andOwingsMills areawasgrowingrapidly,andtheanswertotheincreasedschoolpopulationandthe agingoftheearlierbuildingswastheconstructionofthepresentFranklinHighSchoolin 1960,locatedfurthersouthonReisterstownRoad,followedbyasouthernadditionin 2000.
AsfortheoldAcademybuilding,itsatidleforawhilebutwaseventuallyrefurbishedto serveasaschoolbusgarage;theagriculturaldepartmentforthehighschool,including poultryandpigs;and,in1961,theReisterstownBranchoftheBaltimoreCountyPublic Library,whichitremainstoday.
AnnB.O’Neill
ReisterstownBranch,BCPL
UpdatedJanuary2019