Historical Buildings

St. Pauls Church

St. John Evangelical Church, Bensenville. Organized in 1843, many local families attended church here. The services were conducted in German.  In the early 1900s, many local parishioners decided that the four mile drive was too far in the cold weather and resolved to form a new church in Franklin Park.

More about St. Pauls Church

Elementary/Middle School District 84

What is now considered Franklin Park School District 84 grew out of Public School District 84. The first school building in the area was built in 1888, and was located at the intersection of Rhodes and Wrightwood in River Grove.

More about School District 84

High School District 212

The first high school in Franklin Park opened in 1911. It was located within the old Brick School, and began with 9th grade classes only. In 1913, sophomore and junior levels were added. Students who wished to complete their senior year were required to attend school in Chicago or a nearby township. Free transportation was provided by the Soo Line Railroad.

More about School District 212

Franklin Park Public Library

Franklin Park is very fortunate in that from its early days interest has existed in establishing a library for our community. The Franklin Park Library was originally formed as a project of the Franklin Park Woman’s Club. On April 15, 1899, the first book was donated, which was the beginning of our library.

More about the library

Stroll Through Franklin Park Streets ( late 1800s and early to mid-1900s) and how our streets were named.

More about Franklin Park District’s Streets

Franklin Park Railroad History

View Railroad Photos

Native American Settlement of Franklin Park

The Potawatomi (“People of the Place of Fire”) are a tribe of the Algonquin language family, closely related to the Ottawa (“To Buy and Sell”) & Ojibwa (“To Roast Till Puckered Up”). The three Indian nations inhabited the Great Lakes region. The predominant tribe were the Potawatomi.

More about Native American settlement

Upcoming Events

View Full Calendar