Jo Brown: Writing a New Story for Franklin’s Future
By Ryan Kellogg, Essence McClain, John Schimmel
Jo Brown is the owner of Franklin Studio, a non-profit coffee shop that is located at the main intersection of downtown Franklin, NH.
Brown opened the store in June of 2015, wanting to create a space for people to come together and gather downtown. All of the employees are local volunteers who donate 3–5 hours a week to the shop.
Brown is a third generation native of Franklin and owning this coffee shop is a second career chapter for her. In fact, she moved back to Franklin after a successful career as an Air Force Officer and comes from a long family of servicemen in the armed forces.
Brown’s passion for creating a better future for Franklin comes through strongly when speaking with her, as does her optimism that the town has a chance to write itself a new story.
Growing up in Franklin, Brown remembers Franklin in the 1960’s as a successful and vibrant mill town.
“The stores were packed in the 1960s. It was a very active and vibrant community with a lot of support. There used to be a catholic school, and small middle schools. The streets were completely full, because of the mill workers. But, eventually, the Mills went south because of the unions.”
Now, many of the mills and storefronts are empty and in a poor condition. Franklin Studios sits in a building that was made in 1878 and had previously functioned as a shoe store, tattoo parlor, and a doctor’s office.
Though Joe has renovated the building, she’s preserved the original ceiling and flooring — and it’s beautiful.
After many decades of struggling in the town, some people don’t believe that change is possible in this town. But Brown is determined to show that it is possible.
But Brown believes that multiple forces are intersecting to create positive change including the work of nonprofit Permacitylife led by Todd Workman, efforts of City Manager Elizabeth Dragon, and Marty Parichand’s work through nonprofit Mill City Park to build the new white water kayak park.
“People say that nothing can stay in franklin, now we are changing that mindset…We have new visionaries here who see that more is possibly for Franklin.”
Brown says that some people have lost their pride in Franklin, though she said the three-day event that happened in 2015 called, Franklin for a Lifetime, organized by Elizabeth Dragon, was a turning point in creating new positive perceptions for residence that Franklin has a chance of improving.
While interviewing Brown she said that in the next two years she believes this city will be completely different — and for the better.
“You’ll never go back to the way it was — and you don’t want that — but you can go back to bringing in business. It can happen in Franklin.”
As a Franklin native, Brown is excited to be a part of the vision for the city and to be contributing to writing the next chapter in its history.
