Franklin, NY

Franklin is a village in Delaware County, New York, within the Town of Franklin and along Ouleout Creek. The village was laid out after John Edgerton purchased 100 acres and platted streets and lots in 1827, then incorporated in 1836. The 2020 census counted 424 residents. Route 357 runs through the village, following the creek valley through the western foothills of the Catskills. Historic homes and commercial buildings line a compact center that grew from roads, schools, and trade.

Education has been part of Franklin's story since the Delaware Literary Institute received its charter in 1835. The school's buildings later became part of Franklin Central School, and Chapel Hall now houses the Franklin Stage Company. The village historic district was listed on the National Register in 1983, while the Franklin Railroad and Community Museum keeps the transportation era in view. Village Hall, water service, the fire department, Main Street businesses, and Ouleout Creek give Franklin a clear civic center within the larger town. Its streets hold a nineteenth-century village plan that still fits the surrounding farm country.