Franklin Historic District (Franklin, Michigan)
The Franklin Historic District is a mostly residential and small commercial area along Franklin Road in the village of Franklin, Oakland County, Michigan. It covers about 174 acres and stretches from Fourteen Mile Road in the north to Scenic Drive in the south, with the Rouge River to the east and land just off Franklin Road to the west.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, the first historic district in Michigan, and its boundaries were expanded in 2005.
Franklin was founded in 1824. By 1828 it had nine families, a postmaster, and a school, and by 1830 a small business center had formed where this district now lies. Early businesses such as the Broughton Wagon Shop and the Van Every Mill still stand largely in their original condition.
Growth slowed through the 19th century. After World War I, Detroit residents moved to nearby suburbs, boosting housing and development. The village was formally platted in 1926, and after World War II highways and suburban growth brought another development boom. In the early 1970s, the Franklin Historical Society pushed for zoning to protect the area from overdevelopment.
The original part of the district along Franklin Road follows the area Franklin had in the 1870s. It includes 26 historically significant properties, many dating to the 1830s. The expanded district contains about 150 buildings, with roughly 100 considered contributing to its historic character.
The district is located along or near Franklin Road, with the Rouge River to the east. Among its notable early structures are the Broughton Wagon Shop and the Van Every Mill.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 18:14 (CET).