The second Franklin School building was completed early in February, 1900. It replaced the original Franklin School, which was built in 1867 and was in very bad condition. The new school was a brick building two stories in height and included ten rooms. Its total cost was $25,041.25. Its distinctive features were wide and roomy hallways, light from the left side only, and a system of heating and ventilation which insured a constant supply of pure air at a uniform temperature. The building was considered "handsome and an ornament to the northeast part of the city." Franklin School would serve our district until 1970, when the building was sold to Illinois Wesleyan University. The building was demolished and was replaced with a parking lot.
