Historical Society
The Franklin Area Historical Society
The Franklin Area Historical Society (FAHS) was established in 1965 to preserve the history of the City of Franklin and the area. This is accomplished through a ariety of publications, including our newsletter, as well as the collections and exhibitions of objects of local historical importance in the Harding Museum and the Log Post Office museum.
FAHS welcomes new members. If you wish to be added to our e-mail list, please contact the webmaster.
Franklin Area Historical Society
302 Park Avenue
Franklin, OH 45005
FAHS was the 2008 winner of the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce's Eldridge Award for Historic Preservation.
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Franklin, OH
Franklin was founded in 1796 by General William C. Schenck. Franklin had a post office as early as 1802 (under the Northwest Territory) with John N. C. Schenck as postmaster.
The community of 11,400 is part of Franklin Township, which has a total population 
of approximately 27,800. The local school district, Franklin City Schools, is highly rated by the Ohio Department of Education.
Downtown Franklin has a number of murals painted by local muralist Eric Henn. This Trompe D’Oeil Mural is at Fourth and Main on the south side of the Huntington Bank building. This fool-the-eye mural looks three-dimensional from nearly every angle. Photo by Dan Darragh.
Franklin has an active Chamber of Commerce.
About the Museum
The Harding Museum is located at 302 Park Ave., the corner of Park Avenue and Elm Street, in the city's Mackinaw Historical District.
It was a gift to the society from the late Maj. Gen. Forrest Harding, one of the society's founders. It contains many of his artifacts as well as other local objects.
The Harding Museum is open from 2 to 5 p.m. Sundays from late April until November and by appointment. Call (937) 746-8295. Admission is $3 for adults and $1 for children.
The Log Post Office on River Street at Fifth Street dates back to 1805. It is one of the oldest standing post offices in Ohio and contains artifacts representing that era. It is Ohio's oldest standing post office on the National Register of Historic Places
The Log Post Office is used as a learning lab for school children and is also open when various special functions take place in the city. It is maintained by the Junior Historical Society, which operates under the umbrella of FAHS.
Advisors to the Junior Historical Society are Patty Frazee, Lisa Dillon, and Mary Nenninger. This group is for students in grades 7-12.
