Franklin auto museum moving to Cazenovia
Directors of automobile museum decide on 70-acre site east of the village
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
By Robert A. Baker
Staff writer (Syracuse Post-Standard)

Directors of the H.H. Franklin Foundation announced Monday they plan to build a museum complex on 70 acres of land just east of the village of Cazenovia.

The board's official announcement ends speculation as to where the Franklin Automobile Museum will make its new home. At one point, several sites in Syracuse and Onondaga County were vying for the museum.

The 35-car Franklin Automobile collection and historical artifacts are currently housed in Tucson, Ariz.

The Cazenovia site is on Route 20, a half mile east of the village line and just west of the Stearns & Wheler engineers building.

Cazenovia was "an easy choice," Marlene Zimmerman, chairman of the H.H. Franklin Foundation, said from her home in Los Altos, Calif.

The choice came down to staying in Arizona or moving to Central New York, Zimmerman said, and the foundation looked at sites in both areas.

"We had a much better reception from the Central New York area. We felt we were welcomed with open arms," Zimmerman said.

"The museum they intend to build here will be a state-of-the-art facility."

The site is one of three in Cazenovia that the foundation had been looking at, Brooks said. The other two were near the Lorenzo State Historic Site and on Route 20 across from the Cazenovia Motel.

Cazenovia is home to the annual Franklin Trek, a 51-year-old August meet on the Cazenovia College campus attended by Franklin aficionados from all over the world. The trek attracts about 100 Franklin automobile owners.

In August, foundation Chairwoman Marlene Zimmerman announced at a Franklin Trek event that the organization had reached an agreement to buy land for the museum in the town of Cazenovia.

"Citizens of Cazenovia were especially enthusiastic about the prospects of the Franklin Museum, as its mission of historic preservation fit perfectly with the character and aspirations of the village," stated a release from the foundation announcing the relocation.

Zimmerman said the foundation hasn't started planning the Cazenovia facility, doesn't know how much it would cost and has set no date for the move.

In a news release, the Franklin board said the success of fund-raising will determine the start of construction.

"We're very excited," said Cazenovia Supervisor Tim Hunt. "A lot of people have worked very hard to convince the Franklin Foundation to come to Cazenovia."

State Assemblyman Bill Magee has secured a $50,000 grant for the museum contingent on the museum's move to Cazenovia, said Troy Waffner, Magee spokesman and village trustee. The foundation is completing the paperwork on that grant now, Waffner said.

"From a tourism point of view, this will be a big boost," village Trustee Paul Brooks said. "The museum they intend to build here will be a state-of-the-art facility."

The site is one of three in Cazenovia that the foundation had been looking at, Brooks said. The other two were on Route 13 near the Lorenzo State Historic Site and on Route 20 across from the Cazenovia Motel.

Cazenovia is home to the annual Franklin Trek, a 51-year-old August meet on the Cazenovia College campus attended by Franklin aficionados from all over the world. The trek attracts about 100 Franklin automobile owners.

In August, Zimmerman announced at a Franklin Trek event that the organization had reached an agreement to buy land for the museum in the town of Cazenovia.

"Citizens of Cazenovia were especially enthusiastic about the prospects of the Franklin Museum, as its mission of historic preservation fit perfectly with the character and aspirations of the village," stated a release from the foundation announcing the relocation.

The village of Cazenovia, Madison County and New York state sent a contingent to pitch the Cazenovia area to the Franklin foundation board. The board subsequently decided to look for land in Cazenovia at a Jan. 3 meeting.

The museum houses an impressive collection of Franklin automobiles, manufactured by H.H. Franklin in Syracuse from 1902 to 1934. The museum now resides in the sprawling home of the late Thomas Hill Hubbard. When Hubbard died in 1993, his home became the Franklin Automobile Museum, run by the foundation he established.

"It will be a big boost for the local economy," said village Mayor Tom Dougherty. "It certainly will bring people to the village and the Cazenovia area."

(c) 2004 The Post-Standard. Used with permission.