Franklin Square

German Immigrants Worked the Land

Beginnings: Like much of what was to become central Nassau, Franklin Square was part of the vast, grassy Hempstead Plains. It remained undisturbed by humans for thousands of years, by virtue of its position far inland. Its earliest use was as communal sheep grazing land for Hempstead farmers. After the Revolution, crops were planted. Except for a few families, there was little in Franklin Square until 1852, when Louis Schroerer built a hotel. It attracted two things that established Franklin Square as a community - travelers on the Hempstead-Jamaica Turnpike, and many other German settlers.

Turning Point: Germans came in significant numbers in the years after 1850, particularly after 1870. Many were farmers, some growing a wide variety of produce and others raising chickens or pigs. After World War I, the real estate boom reached Franklin Square. It was one of the fastest-growing communities of the 1940s. Homes completely replaced farms by 1952.

Unsolved Mystery: No one knows exactly why Franklin Square is so named. Some suggested it was for Benjamin Franklin, but he had no connection to this area. Others believe it was named for a local person, now unknown.

Brush With Fame: Novelist Alice Hoffman grew up in Franklin Square.

Where to Find More: ``The Way It Was, a Story of Old Franklin Square,'' by Paul van Wie of the Franklin Square Historical Society.