Franklin School
Encyclopedia
The Franklin School is a building designed by Adolf Cluss
, located on Franklin Square
at 13th and K Street in Washington, DC. Built in 1869, the structure is currently unoccupied. Beginning in 2002, the building had been used as a homeless shelter, but the shelter was finally closed in September, 2008. The decision to close the shelter remains controversial.
It was briefly occupied by protesters associated with the Occupy movement
on November 19, 2011
A bust of Benjamin Franklin adorns the building's facade. The building's Great Hall was designed to seat 1,000 people and was a resource for community concerts, exhibitions, and public meetings. Franklin is one of thirteen buildings in Washington, D.C. to receive "interior landmark protection."
In addition to being an admired educational facility, a small plaque on its exterior describes the building's place in the history of telecommunications, noting Alexander Graham Bell
's first wireless communication in 1880, where a beam of light was used to transmit a voice message using his newly invented Photophone
. Bell's laboratory was nearby on 'L' Street and his work was a pioneering step in optical communications, the forerunner of fiber-optic communication
systems which now carry most of the world's telecommunications traffic. Bell was also a well-known educator who taught at a special day school for deaf children, who trained teachers of the deaf, and who additionally created an institution for the study of deafness
(also in Washington, DC).
The location of the school in a prominent neighborhood was intended to bring attention to age-graded, separate but equal classrooms for boys and girls. Offices for the Superintendent and the Board of Education were also housed in the Franklin School allowing administrators to see the benefits of the new educational system. The building also used big windows for light, roomy and airy spaces to enhance the learning environment.
The prominence Franklin School enjoyed was highlighted in the 1870s when studied in international expositions held in Vienna, Paris, and Philadelphia. It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1996.
Adolf Cluss
Adolf Cluss was a German-born American immigrant who became one of the most important architects in Washington, D.C., in the late 19th century, responsible for the design of numerous schools and other notable public buildings in the capital.He was born in 1825 in Heilbronn in the Kingdom of...
, located on Franklin Square
Franklin Square (Washington, D.C.)
Franklin Square is a square in downtown Washington, D.C.. Named after Benjamin Franklin, it is bounded by K Street Northwest to the north, 13th Street NW on the east, I Street NW on the south, and 14th Street NW on the west. It is served by the McPherson Square station of the Washington Metro,...
at 13th and K Street in Washington, DC. Built in 1869, the structure is currently unoccupied. Beginning in 2002, the building had been used as a homeless shelter, but the shelter was finally closed in September, 2008. The decision to close the shelter remains controversial.
It was briefly occupied by protesters associated with the Occupy movement
Occupy movement
The Occupy movement is an international protest movement which is primarily directed against economic and social inequality. The first Occupy protest to be widely covered was Occupy Wall Street in New York City, taking place on September 17, 2011...
on November 19, 2011
A bust of Benjamin Franklin adorns the building's facade. The building's Great Hall was designed to seat 1,000 people and was a resource for community concerts, exhibitions, and public meetings. Franklin is one of thirteen buildings in Washington, D.C. to receive "interior landmark protection."
In addition to being an admired educational facility, a small plaque on its exterior describes the building's place in the history of telecommunications, noting Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone....
's first wireless communication in 1880, where a beam of light was used to transmit a voice message using his newly invented Photophone
Photophone
The photophone, also known as a radiophone, was invented jointly by Alexander Graham Bell and his then-assistant Charles Sumner Tainter on February 19, 1880, at Bell's 1325 'L' Street laboratory in Washington, D.C...
. Bell's laboratory was nearby on 'L' Street and his work was a pioneering step in optical communications, the forerunner of fiber-optic communication
Fiber-optic communication
Fiber-optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of light through an optical fiber. The light forms an electromagnetic carrier wave that is modulated to carry information...
systems which now carry most of the world's telecommunications traffic. Bell was also a well-known educator who taught at a special day school for deaf children, who trained teachers of the deaf, and who additionally created an institution for the study of deafness
Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, also known as AG Bell, is a resource, support network and advocate for listening, learning, talking and living independently with hearing loss...
(also in Washington, DC).
The location of the school in a prominent neighborhood was intended to bring attention to age-graded, separate but equal classrooms for boys and girls. Offices for the Superintendent and the Board of Education were also housed in the Franklin School allowing administrators to see the benefits of the new educational system. The building also used big windows for light, roomy and airy spaces to enhance the learning environment.
The prominence Franklin School enjoyed was highlighted in the 1870s when studied in international expositions held in Vienna, Paris, and Philadelphia. It was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1996.
External links
- Franklin School, Thirteenth & K Streets Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia, DC: 22 photos, 2 data pages, at Historic American Building Survey