Named after

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...

, Franklin Street runs East and West through the city of

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

. The street is home to several historic landmarks, including the Richmond home of Robert E. Lee, Masons’ Hall and the Jefferson Hotel. The Jefferson Hotel opened in 1895, is one of 27 hotels in the United States to have both Mobil Five Star and AAA Five Diamond ratings, and has hosted numerous presidents, writers, and celebrities. Franklin Street also runs through the middle of the Monroe Park Campus of

Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public research university in Richmond, Virginia. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virginia in 1854. In 1968, the Virginia ...

. West Franklin Street (and its extension, Monument Avenue) has been one of Richmond's most stylish residential addresses since the late 19th century.Living Places - Monument Avenue Historic District
/ref> In the late 19th century

Monument Avenue Monument Avenue is a tree-lined grassy mall dividing the eastbound and westbound traffic in Richmond, Virginia, originally named for its emblematic complex of structures honoring those who fought for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. ...

was laid out as an extension of the 1200 block of West Franklin Street. This block has housed a mix of different building types and functions, including two churches, a hospital, the largest apartment building in the historic district, and single-family homes of various architectural styles. At the West end of the 1200 block of Franklin Street stood the Stuart Monument (removed in 2020), depicting Confederate Major General J. E. B. Stuart. The Stuart Monument also marks the start of

, a stretch of road formerly memorializing Confederate participants in the Civil War and

Arthur Ashe Arthur Robert Ashe Jr. (July 10, 1943 – February 6, 1993) was an American professional tennis player who won three Grand Slam singles titles. He started to play tennis at six years old. He was the first black player selected to the Un ...

, an international tennis star and Richmond native. The "Monument Avenue Historic District" is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. Franklin Street, Richmond, Va. (16215075104).jpg, Postcard of Franklin Street, c.1900 Jefferson Hotel Richmond VA.jpg, The Jefferson Hotel, 101 West Franklin Street,

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

References

{{Reflist Roads in Virginia Transportation in Richmond, Virginia