Photo: Wikimedia Commons — see author and license on the file page.

Franklin Square

Historic district
In Bloomington, Illinois
0.2 mi from Route 66
National Register of Historic Places

Franklin Square, also called Franklin Park, is a historic square in Bloomington, IL, just northeast of downtown and close to the old Route 66 corridor. Around it stand the former homes of Illinois Governor Joseph W. Fifer and of Adlai Stevenson I, who served as vice president. On the National Register and protected locally since 1979, it is a pleasant place to see where some of Bloomington's leading figures lived.

What is Franklin Square?

The square is a small park surrounded by houses. It takes in two blocks each of East Chestnut and East Walnut streets, numbered in the 300s and 400s, plus the 900 block of both North Prairie and North McLean streets. Its best-known residents were Adlai Stevenson I, who served as vice president of the United States, and Joseph W. Fifer, who served as governor of Illinois. Both lived on the square.

In 1979 the city named it a local historic district, and it also carries a National Register listing.

Visiting Franklin Square: tips

The square is about 0.1 miles from the old road, so it is an easy stop in Bloomington. Walk the loop and view the houses from the sidewalk; they are private homes unless marked otherwise. The park is family-friendly, and a short walk fits well into a longer stroll through town. The White Building is about 0.3 miles away, the McLean County Museum of History about 0.5 miles off, and the East Grove Street District about 0.6 miles away.