Two Franklin buildings on list of 'endangered' historic structures

The city of Franklin has been selected for recognition of two historic properties under the “Louisiana’s Most Endangered Places” by the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation.
Franklin Lodge No. 57 F&AM, at 719 Main St., and Frank Young House, 906 Willow St., have both been selected.
The Franklin Lodge was built in 1895, chartered by the Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana in 1848. The building was dedicated on Jan. 8, 1895, with 500 Masonic members present. Since then the lodge has hosted well-known members, including two former governors, Murphy J. Foster and J.Y. Sanders, two United States senators, three grand masters of the state of Louisiana and other officials of the state, parish and city.
The building features a unique crenelated parapet, inset panels with basket-weave brick patter, corbelling and prominent keystone and Masonic symbol of square and compass. The first floor storefront has been modified but retains a bank of transom windows.
Lodge members have repointed masonry and completed architectural plans to renovate and restore the building in recent years.
Concern has been growing over the worsening condition of the building and the need for a fundraising effort to see the lodge rehabilitated before it is lost or abandoned.
Frank Young House was built in c.1900, a Queen Anne cottage that sits a few blocks from Franklin’s picturesque Main Street and was built at a time when the town was growing rapidly from commerce on Bayou Teche and nearby sugar cane production. It was once owned by Frank Young, the grandfather of civil rights leader Andrew Young. Frank Young was born shortly after the Civil War and was a life-long resident of Franklin until his death in the 1940s. He was a leader in the Black community and advocate for improvements in education, health care and sustainable food production.
In 1922, he acquired land for the construction of St. Mary Parish Training School with a staff of five teachers, constructed with a challenge grant from the Julius Rosenwald Fund. An addition in 1924 increased the teachers to seven. Total cost of the facility was $9,900 with contributions from African Americans, $2,700, the school board, $5,790, and the Julius Rosenwald Fund, $1,500. Rosenwald also funded an elementary library, high school library and electric radio for the campus.
Frank’s grandson, Andrew Young Jr., was an American politician, diplomat and civil rights advocate who grew up in New Orleans but spent many summers with his grandfather in Franklin. In the mid-1960s, Young served as a negotiator during the civil rights campaigns in Birmingham, St. Augustine, Selma and Atlanta. He served two terms as mayor of Atlanta, and one term as a U.S. representative from Georgia. He also served as United States ambassador to the United Nations for two years during the Carter administration. He was friends with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and was his side at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis when King was assassinated in 1968.
Ambassador Young donated the property to the local Boys and Girls Club of the Bayou Teche Region in 1998 in honor of his grandfather, to be renovated as community and activity space for the organization. Several nearby properties have been identified for blight demolition and concern is growing that this property could be also be targeted.
The city will provide information if anyone is interested in getting involved with the Historic Preservation of these two properties.