Franklin Court Courtyard

The white steel frame in the foreground marks the location and size of Benjamin Franklin's home.

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

Enter from Chestnut Street, between 3rd and 4th Streets

Significance:

This is the site of where Benjamin Franklin's house once stood.

Designation:

National Historical Park

Amenities

5 listed

Accessible Sites, Benches/Seating, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Wheelchair Accessible

This site is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Enter from Market Street or Chestnut Street, between 3rd and 4th Streets. 

Although this area was preserved to remember and honor Benjamin Franklin, the house that once stood in Franklin Court speaks to the women who called it their home. Franklin's wife Deborah oversaw the construction of the house while Benjamin was in London. Daughter Sarah (Sally) Franklin Bache and her husband Richard raised their eight children in this house during Benjamin's mission to France. Franklin's grandchildren demolished the house in 1812 to allow for commercial development. Only the foundations of the large and elegant house remain, outlined at present by a modern steel "ghost" structure. The courtyard is now home to the Benjamin Franklin Museum, the Franklin Court Printing Office, the "Fragments of Franklin Court" exhibit and the B. Free Franklin Post Office.