Franklin Stearns | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Henrico County | |
| In office December 4, 1865 – March 3, 1866 | |
| Preceded by | n/a |
| Succeeded by | Z.S. McGruder |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 3, 1815 Winhall, Vermont, U.S. |
| Died | June 10, 1888 (aged 73) Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Resting place | Shockoe Hill Cemetery |
| Spouse(s) | Emma F. Haley; Caroline Virginia Willey |
| Children | Franklin Stearns Jr., Irene Louise Stearns Halsey |
| Residence(s) | Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Occupation | distiller, real estate investor |
| Known for | Unionist during the American Civil War, post-war reconciliation |
Franklin Stearns (March 3, 1815 – June 10, 1888), was an American businessman who moved to Richmond, Virginia, and became one of the city's leading Unionists, for which he was imprisoned several times during the American Civil War. When Union forces captured the Confederate capital in April 1865, Richmond's mayor delivered the city's note of surrender to Union forces at Stearns' farm, Tree Hill which may become a park after development is completed. After the war, Stearns worked to restore Richmond, and three of his properties remain today, and are on the National Register of Historic Places.