When most people think of Boston, they think of John or Sam Adams, or maybe Paul Revere or John F. Kennedy. Few people, at this point in time, remember that Ben Franklin, so often and strongly tied to his adopted city of Philadelphia, was actually a Boston native. Born under British rule on downtown’s “Milk St.”, the home of Franklin’s birth no longer stands. In it’s place, a modern commercial high rise baring a small bust of this great American and Founding Father is all that serves to mark the place that once housed the Franklin family. However, Franklin’s mark still stands in many subtle ways throughout his hometown. For one, Boston’s cherished library system is modeled very similarly after Franklin’s library concept. Also, Boston remains a hub for journalists and other intellectuals – two groups that Franklin would have considered himself a part of and whose presence in his hometown he would certainly want to see flourish. While it’s not one of the top ten free things to do in boston, check out the site of Franklin’s birth – just so you can tell people you did!
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