It's a rarity in a big city like Philadelphia when a new green space is created where families can get together to have fun, enjoy a picnic and get away from the concrete jungle of the city.
Just such a place is Franklin Square which opened on July 31, 2006 under the auspices of Once Upon a Nation. It is now open for its second season.
To be honest, Franklin Square is not new. In fact it was one of William Penn's five original squares in the design of the city, dating back to 1682.
Originally called "North East Publick Square," Franklin Square was renamed in honor of Benjamin Franklin in 1825. Over the years, it has been used as a cattle pasture, a horse and cattle market, burial ground, magazine (storage) for ammunition powder, a drill and parade ground for the American military during the War of 1812.
In 1837, the city made Franklin Square into a public park and an elegant fountain was constructed at its center. The fountain was restored in 1976 for the City's Bicentennial celebration, but shortly thereafter fell into disrepair.
In recent years, the square was pretty much a no man's land. Although located adjacent to the city's historic district, it was neither maintained nor renovated unlike much of Independence National Park. Trash and drug paraphernalia were everywhere and the homeless were the square's most common visitors, especially at night. Most locals could not even tell you where Franklin Square was located.
All of that changed when Once Upon a Nation came into the picture.