Presbyterian Church 1886
At the northwest corner of the square was once the home of George Washington Hoy. He had spent $5000 building his home. Another resource refers to this site as being the old Harwell home. It is now the site of the Franklin Presbyterian Church. The church was formerly located on South Main Street across from Franklin Elementary. In 1884, the site was bought from George Washington Hoy. The Louisville firm of McDonald Bros, was selected for the design of the Victorian Gothic building which was built in 1886.
Martin House 1904
This was an empty lot until 1904 when sisters Mary and Martha Martin built a five room wood frame cottage on this lot. Martha Martin died in 1910 and sister Mary in 1923. The house was still there in 1940 but in 1947 a lot on the north side was deeded to the church. When the house was demolished is undetermined. There is now a parking lot for the Presbyterian Church at this location.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
JH Tarpley Taxi Company
As far back as 1886 there was a small wood warehouse behind the Masonic Building on North Main Street. Whether this is the same building that eventually housed the JH Tarpley Taxi Company is unknown.
​
Taxis are advertising as early as 1900 in the Franklin Favorite. JR Barnett was a taxi driver. Twenty years later we see WJ Saddler advertising his taxi business and a few years later TJ Oates. In 1942 JH Tarpley started a taxi service operating from the Massey Motor Company. In 1947 Tarpley purchased the Edwards Taxi Service from Paul Edwards.
In 1950, Tarpley Taxi Company raised the price for taking a child to and from school from 10 to 25 cents. Rates for a one passenger trip with the city was 35 cents, two passengers 45 cents, three passengers 60 cents, and four passengers 80 cents. In 1952 Tarpley announced that he had sold Tarpley Taxi Service to Ellis Harris and that it would become known as City Cab. The story gets fuzzy at this point as in 1961 Tarpley sold the business to Duree Claiborne.
Advertisements ceased to exist for Tarpley Taxi Service or City Cab at this point although an unnamed taxi business was advertised for sale in 1964.
Jordan Monument ca 1900
This building is on the west side of North Main Street behind the Masonic Building. In 1871 there was a residence at this location. Sometime between 1897 and 1901 the residence was torn down and the current building was built to house the marble works business of Henry Jordan. Henry Jordan was born in Northern Ireland in 1826 and immigrated to Canada in 1854. In 1857 he moved to Bowling Green and in 1891 moved to Franklin and operated a marble works business at the corner of College and Kentucky streets on a lot previously known as Hilton's Corner.
​
The business eventually became known as Jordan Monument Company and was operated by sons Joe and Sam Jordan. It operated continually just off the public square until 1954 the equipment and inventory was sold to Harry Booker and the property was sold to Clifford Haydon.
​
Clifford Haydon remodeled the building and moved his Model Dry Cleaners into the building. Unfortunately Mr. Haydon, a veteran of WWII, died in 1955 at only forty-seven years of age. At this time Lewis Scott, who had started Scott Dry Cleaners in 1947, moved his business into the building. It remained Scott Dry Cleaners until 1980.