SAVING OUR HISTORICAL WPA-ERA POST OFFICE, & MONEY.

Update: As of February 2012, the building is still city property. Rust never sleeps, however, and we can't rest until a definite plan is in place!

A 10-minute video excerpt of previous City Council discussion is available on our NEW YouTube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/CCJCINdotORG

Here is the URL of the video itself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0wr8uTWTHg

Click here to download the petition (PDF) presented to Fred Paris & the City Council 6/7/10.

Click here to download letter & diagrams (PDF) presented to Fred Paris & the City Council 6/21/10.

Click here to download more letters, emails, and statements to Franklin officials on this matter.

Image from old postcard of original front of our post office.

55 West Madison, rated "Outstanding" for historical value in DNR-DHPA's 1985 survey of Johnson County.

View from across the corner of W. Madison and N. Jackson. The architectural style is Georgian Revival. The Artcraft Theatre is on the left, Johnson County Courthouse on the right.

The cornerstone. (Simon designed many post offices and public buildings.) The city acquired it from the USPS in 1981.

The exquisite mural "Local Industry" by Franklin native Jean Swiggett was installed in 1940. In 1981 it was moved to the current post office at 1265 North Main Street. There's a possibility we can acquire it for display in the county museum!

Image of Pete Grimmer/TAD Properties/SBG Design's gawd-awful plan to destroy the historic character of the building's facade. They planned removing the front steps, digging a tunnel to the basement, adding flying stairs to the main floor, plus an awning; on the east side, constructing a platform, covered with an awning, and a door through the wall for access.

Grimmer/TAD/SBG 1st floor plan: Historical lobby destroyed, door cut through east side.

BETTER plan for the people of Franklin:
MAKE IT OUR CITY COURT. The one we have now has to move.

Current city court layout. The hearing room is approx. 1466 square feet.
Total area is 4756 square feet.*

Blueprint of 1st floor of 55 W Madison. (The 30-page set is in the Johnson County Museum library.)
Larger image is available at: http://www.ccjcin.org/PO/No-3a.jpg

1st floor diagram minus the detail. The old "work room" at left is approx. 2000 square feet.
The 1st floor is approx. 4000 square feet.
The entire building is 8609 square feet.*

Blueprint of the basement floor. A larger image is available at: http://www.ccjcin.org/PO/No-2a.jpg

Diagram of basement, minus detail. It's unclear what's currently in the area below the lobby.

* According to research by Tim Dobbs during his stint at Planning.

Current city hall at 70 E Monroe. Outer dimensions are 145' 10" by 36' 7". The current retail and storage space on the east side (of the lobby) is about 2465 square feet. The hearing room on the west side is about 1677 sq. ft.

Detail of hearing room.

As you can see, 70 E. Monroe can't be adapted for the necessary flow of court clients and staff, or for security.

55 W. Madison has plenty of room to work with on the ground floor, without a lot of structural work, and still would have lots of office and storage space downstairs. It also has the original vault. Security measures, such as a metal detector, can be added.

Larger images:

1 CAISSON
55 W MADISON basement
55 W MADISON 1st floor
70 E MONROE
70 E MONROE hearing room
Current city court detail
Possible city court layout

City court at 1 Caisson has a lovely bench, which could be moved.

Seating at 1 Caisson are old church pews, which could also go to 55 W. Madison.

Judge and prosecutors have a private door on the left, clerk and staff on the right. That open door above is closed and locked during court. Clients exit toward the payment window through the door at far right.

Similar to Johnson County Memorial Hospital, court clients pay at the window, then exit to the lobby. The cashier window to the lobby, visible at left, is covered by a steel shutter during court session and after hours.