Belleville’s Franklin Neighborhood

Franklin Neighborhood is a text-book example of how through dedication, hard work and good neighbors a neighborhood once in decline can reclaim its former greatness. The Franklin Neighborhood Community Association is the centerpiece of community around which the neighborhood has experienced a renaissance. The neighborhood of moderately sized historical homes surrounds Franklin School and is only a few blocks south of Belleville’s West Main Street Shopping District.

Franklin Neighborhood feature two large parks, Hough Park and Rotary Dog Park.  The Rotary Dog Park is the area’s premier private, paid park where dog lovers and their pets gather to enjoy the rolling landscape, obstacle courses and each other’s company. Belleville’s Skate Park a great place where kids and families work on their kickflips is just north of the neighborhood providing a fun place to hang out.

The neighborhood began as a blue collar neighborhood in the shadow of the old Stag brewery where working people lived, gathered, went to school and enjoyed life. Belleville’s Richland Creek winds through the neighborhood accompanied by the Belleville Bike and Running path, a blacktopped and well-maintained place to exercise and enjoy Belleville’s scenery.

Through the persistent work of volunteers, Belleville’s Franklin Neighborhood has created an environment that values families and children by offering activities such as after school tutoring and teaching of life skills. The Neighborhood Association also offers a summer camp offered to all Franklin Neighborhood residents grades first through sixth. Field trips and other learning opportunities are also offered.

Now that the fruits of volunteer and community labor have taken root the area is experiencing a new resurgence in the form of Lindenwood University’s Belleville campus, located at what once was Belleville Township High School. Lindenwood’s aggressive growth plan and community involvement has not only enhanced and filled the already sprawling campus but have actually constructed new student dorms and facility administrative offices and the evidence of our new neighbor has been overwhelmingly positive in terms of educated young people moving into the area, restoration and renovation of formerly blighted areas, increased security because of the increased population and economic growth as once-vacant Main Street and neighborhood properties fill with retail, service and food-service locations to serve the needs of the increasing university and surrounding population.

Residents of the Franklin Neighborhood enjoy the convenience of Belleville’s proximity to St Louis but they also enjoy their walkable proximity to Belleville’s own shopping, bars and restaurants, schools including Lindenwood University, Governor French Academy, Franklin Grade School, Althoff Catholic High School as well as the many parades and festivals held only blocks away on Belleville’s town square.

Map of Franklin Neighborhood