In 2015, a county agent for UNH Extension started paying closer attention to Franklin, New Hampshire, a small city situated 20 miles north of Concord. Nestled at the intersection of three rivers, Franklin was a struggling former mill town that had spent several unsuccessful decades trying to forge a new identity.
“There was a real sense that nothing ever happens here,” says Franklin Mayor Jo Brown, a native of the city. “There was just this pervasive loss of confidence in the town and community.”
Franklin Mayor Jo Brown, left, and UNH Extension's Charlie French.But the Extension agent saw potential for a renewed Franklin. What could be done with the river fronts? How could the old downtown brick buildings be repurposed? How could the region’s population surge translate into a healthier...
In 2015, a county agent for UNH Extension started paying closer attention to Franklin, New Hampshire, a small city situated 20 miles north of Concord. Nestled at the intersection of three rivers, Franklin was a struggling former mill town that had spent several unsuccessful decades trying to forge a new identity.
“There was a real sense that nothing ever happens here,” says Franklin Mayor Jo Brown, a native of the city. “There was just this pervasive loss of confidence in the town and community.”
Franklin Mayor Jo Brown, left, and UNH Extension's Charlie French.But the Extension agent saw potential for a renewed Franklin. What could be done with the river fronts? How could the old downtown brick buildings be repurposed? How could the region’s population surge translate into a healthier...