Franklin — or the city's Historical Society, the addition of a barn-like building that would serve as an agricultural museum would be the final piece of the Legend Park Historical Complex.
In the eyes of Alfred Block, who would fund such a project through his family, it would also be the realization of a longtime goal, one that would benefit local children.
Block is proposing the construction of the museum at Lions Legend Park. He presented preliminary plans to the Common Council on Tuesday night to rave reviews.
Modern view of the past
The Historical Society has long sought to include a barn on the site to give a complete portrayal of rural life in 19th-century Franklin, Block said. For various reasons, it was pushed off the priority list, but the society's executive board is making it a priority now.
The barn would be constructed new, unlike the old, restored structures on the site. The other four buildings at the park are a one-room school, chapel, town hall and log cabin.
The museum would depict life on a family farm and consist of horse-drawn equipment, machinery and hand tools from the time. The Historical Society plans to solicit farmers' input to help design the interior of the building, Block said.
For the children
One of the driving forces behind the project is children.
Elementary school students in Franklin do not get to learn the city's history as a farming community in the 19th century, Block said. About 400 Franklin fourth-grade students would visit the barn each year, in addition to regular visitors filing in.
"I see a need for a missing component in our educational opportunities for our young people, particularly at the elementary level," Block told the council.
Mayor Tom Taylor and the Franklin Common Council on Tuesday enthusiastically backed the project and expressed their gratitude toward Block for his gift.
More detailed plans will be presented to city officials later before the council gives final approval.
"I'm totally in support of this project," Alderman Steve Olson said. "I think it fits a niche that we need to fill for the Historical Society and the history of the city."
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