About Us
About the Ben Franklin Society
For more than 20 years, the Ben Franklin Society has worked to strengthen Franklin County, North Carolina through education, historic preservation, youth opportunity, and community outreach. From our log cabin headquarters at Lynch Creek Farm, we bring people together and turn every gathering into support for the people and places we serve.
Our Story
A Philadelphian's Idea, Rooted in Franklin County
More than twenty-five years ago, Bob Radcliffe and Kerry Carter left Philadelphia for Franklin County, North Carolina, the county named for Benjamin Franklin himself, and purchased a 55-acre farm along Lynch Creek in Kittrell. They permanently conserved the land and created a nonprofit to give something lasting back to the rural community they now called home.
More than two decades later, that idea has grown into a nonprofit built on a simple conviction: invest in young people, preserve local history, and give neighbors a place to come together. What started as a handful of community projects now includes student scholarships, youth employment and training, historic research, and outreach across Franklin County.
Much of that work is still funded the way it began, by people gathering around a table. Cobblestones from Old City Philadelphia, where Franklin lived, lead to the door of our log cabin, the Society’s headquarters. Inside, a real fireplace, fresh-baked bread, and easy music set the scene for Philly in the Woods, the fundraising dining club that sustains our programs: a place that invites conversation, not conflict.
"You have to put something back into your community and its young people. Otherwise, there is no future."
Our Name
Why the Ben Franklin Society?
Franklin County, North Carolina, is named for Benjamin Franklin, and our founders came here from his city, Philadelphia. Franklin believed that ordinary people, working together, could make their communities better. He built libraries, schools, and civic clubs, and he never stopped learning. Those same ideas guide the work of our Society today.
Philadelphia Roots
Franklin's Legacy
Franklin made Philadelphia his home and helped shape it into a center of learning and civic life.
Our Work Today
Our founders brought Philadelphia with them, from its food traditions to the Old City cobblestones at our cabin's entrance.
Gathering to Learn
Franklin's Legacy
In 1727, Franklin formed the Junto, a club where neighbors met regularly to share ideas and improve their community.
Our Work Today
Our dining events, lectures, and Book and Media Club bring people together for conversation in that same tradition.
Investing in Education
Franklin's Legacy
Franklin helped found a public library and the academy that became the University of Pennsylvania.
Our Work Today
Our scholarships give Franklin County middle school students their first experience of a real university program.
Curiosity About the World
Franklin's Legacy
Franklin studied the world around him with practical curiosity and shared what he learned with others.
Our Work Today
Our historic research documents the mills, landmarks, and stories of Franklin County for future generations.
The name is a reminder of the community we want to build: curious, generous, and connected.
Mission, Vision & Values
What Guides Our Work
Our Charitable Purpose
A charitable, tax-exempt organization that performs independent and collaborative projects to enhance the educational, cultural and economic development of Franklin County, by leveraging its natural and historic resources.
Mission
Why We Exist
To strengthen our community by creating educational opportunities, supporting local initiatives, preserving meaningful connections, and bringing people together through service, learning, and shared experiences.
Vision
Where We Are Going
To become a place where every meal, every event, and every conversation contributes to a stronger, more connected community for generations to come.
Our Values
01
Everyone Is Welcome
Our table is open to all. We ask only that guests treat one another with courtesy and respect.
02
Common Ground
We offer a calm, civil place where neighbors meet for conversation and friendship, not debate.
03
Investing in Youth
We believe opportunities for young people today shape the future of our whole community.
04
Lifelong Learning
From lectures to book discussions, we stay curious and share what we learn with others.
05
Care for Our Heritage
We preserve Franklin County's history, land, and traditions for the generations that follow.
How Our Model Works
A Nonprofit Sustained by Its Community
Rather than relying on large grants, the Ben Franklin Society is sustained by the people who gather with us. Our private dining club, Philly in the Woods, turns shared meals into steady support for the programs we run.
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1
Join the Society
Membership is simple and affordable, starting with a $5 guest pass.
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2
Gather at the Table
Members attend Philly in the Woods fundraising dining events at our Lynch Creek Farm cabin.
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3
Funds Reach the Society
Memberships and events cover our operating costs and build reserves for Society projects.
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4
Programs Serve the Community
Those funds support scholarships, student training, historic research, and local outreach.
Why Membership Is Required
Under North Carolina law, the Ben Franklin Society operates as a private club. Membership allows us to host our fundraising dining events while meeting all legal and liability requirements. Joining takes just a few minutes.
Is My Dining Tax-Deductible?
Because the Ben Franklin Society is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, qualifying dining fees for member fundraising events may be tax-deductible as charitable contributions (tips excluded). Please consult your tax advisor regarding your individual tax situation.
Prefer to Give Directly?
You do not need to attend an event to make a difference. Direct, tax-deductible donations go straight to the Society's programs, wherever you live.
Our Programs
How We Serve Franklin County
Every membership, dining event, and donation supports programs that open doors for young people, protect local history, and strengthen our rural community.
Our Signature Program
Scholarship Fund
Each summer, the Ben Franklin Society sends Franklin County middle school students, grades 6 to 8, to a week-long marine science program at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Students are selected by their own schools. Few scholarships exist for this age group, yet these are formative, life-changing years, and the week gives many students their first real experience of university learning.
- Leaders in Ocean Science MarineQuest program at UNC Wilmington
- 2025: two scholarships awarded to Terrell Lane Middle School students
- 2026: two scholarships awarded, for the first time to Cedar Creek Middle School students
- Scholars return to the cabin to share their experiences with our members
- In partnership with the ZB Collie Foundation, a local 501(c)(3)
$1,500
sends one student for a full week
4
scholarships awarded since 2025
3 to 4
students each year is our next goal
Youth Opportunity
Student Employment & Training
Local students gain their first work experience with us, serving guests at our cabin events and helping grow food in our restored greenhouse. They build confidence, teamwork, and practical skills they carry into college and beyond.
- Hospitality and wait staff roles at fundraising dining events
- Hands-on growing in our 24′ x 92′ greenhouse, restored in 2026
- Former student staff have gone on to college
Local Heritage
Historic Research
We document the history of Franklin County so it is not lost. Our ongoing Grist Mill Inventory, prepared for the North Carolina State Archives, records the mills, landmarks, and forgotten places along Lynch Creek and the Tar River.
- Studies of Whitaker Mill, Gill Mill, and Louisburg Mill
- Research on the abandoned town of Letha and Native American sites on Lynch Creek
- Colonial Hearth Days and colonial kitchen garden projects
Learning Together
Community Education
We support local schools and teachers and create opportunities for people of every age to keep learning, through mentoring, lectures, and shared discussion.
- Early College High School Mentoring Project (2016 to 2018)
- Book and Media Club for members
- Special lecture events, such as our Food and Art Travelogue
Community Care
Homeless & Hidden Homeless Outreach
Homelessness in rural communities is often hidden: people living in cars, doubling up with relatives, or one missed payment away from losing their home. We study the problem locally and support people at risk through practical help and community partnerships.
- Local research on homelessness in Franklin County
- Practical assistance for individuals at risk
- Partnerships with community organizations
Our Journey
More Than Two Decades of Community Work
The Ben Franklin Society has grown slowly and steadily, one project, one student, and one gathering at a time.
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Early 2000s
A Society Takes Root
After moving from Philadelphia and conserving their farm on Lynch Creek, Bob and Kerry found the Ben Franklin Society to support the educational, cultural, and economic life of Franklin County. -
EARLY YEARS
Community Partners Invest
Grants from the United Way of Franklin County, the Franklin County Tourism Development Authority, and Novozymes, totaling about $50,000, help launch Society projects. -
2016 to 2018
Mentoring Future Graduates
The Society leads a mentoring project with the Early College High School, working alongside local educators and the Board of Education. -
2018 TO 2019
Documenting Local History
Research filings for the Grist Mill Inventory record historic mills, an abandoned town, and Native American sites along Lynch Creek. -
2025
Philly in the Woods Is Born
The Society's dining events take a new name, Philly in the Woods, and become its main source of support, welcoming guests from across the region. -
2025
First Scholarships Awarded
Two Terrell Lane Middle School students receive $1,500 scholarships to attend a week-long marine science summer camp at UNC Wilmington. -
2026
New Roots, Wider Reach
Two more scholarships go to Cedar Creek Middle School students, the program is featured in The Franklin Times, our restored greenhouse begins producing, and supporters from beyond North Carolina begin to give. -
LOOKING AHEAD
More Students, More Supporters
Our goal is to send three to four students each year and to welcome supporters from across the country who believe in investing in rural middle school students.
Our Home
Lynch Creek Farm and the Log Cabin
The Society’s headquarters is an authentic log cabin on Lynch Creek Farm, a permanently conserved 55-acre farm in the woods of Kittrell, North Carolina, north of Wake Forest. Tucked away beside Lynch Creek, the cabin is where our members gather, our dining events take place, and our projects are planned.
Guests often tell us they had no idea this place existed. That quiet, hidden setting is part of what makes an evening here feel like a true escape from everyday life.
Society Headquarters
The Log Cabin
With a real fireplace, an open kitchen, a main dining room and loft, and front and back porches overlooking the woods, the cabin hosts our Society meetings, fundraising dining events, lectures, and live music throughout the year.
Growing and Learning
The Greenhouse
Our 24' x 92' greenhouse, first built in 2004, has been restored by volunteers and Board members. Vegetables and herbs are grown with well water and compost, never pesticides, and local students help plant and harvest the produce served at our events.
Meetings and Private Events
Hosting a Gathering?
The cabin is also available for business meetings and private gatherings through Lynch Creek Farm, a separate business that hosts the Society. A portion of every cabin booking supports the Ben Franklin Society.
Visit Lynch Creek FarmPlanning a visit? The cabin is not open to the public. Guests visit by reservation as Society members, and new guests can join in just a few minutes.
Partners & Recognition
We Don't Do This Alone
Program Partners
Z.B. Collie Foundation
Local 501(c)(3) whose Blue Collie Coffee program gives students and young adults with disabilities meaningful work in a small business setting. Our partner in a multi-year scholarship program, represented by longtime Board of Education member Paige Sayles.
Franklin County Schools
Terrell Lane and Cedar Creek Middle School select our scholarship students.
UNC Wilmington
Host of the Leaders in Ocean Science MarineQuest program our scholars attend.
Past Grant Supporters
United Way of Franklin County
Grant support for Society community projects.
Franklin County Tourism Development Authority
Grant support for projects that share Franklin County's history and heritage.
Novozymes
Grant support from one of Franklin County's largest employers.
Giving Channels
Zeffy
Our trusted platform for online donations to the Scholarship Fund and General Fund.
Benevity
Companies and their employees can support the Society through workplace giving programs. Find us on Benevity
Raleigh News & Observer
"Best Kept Secret in Franklin County"
Lynch Creek Farm, home of the Ben Franklin Society, earned this title from one of North Carolina's leading newspapers.
THE FRANKLIN TIMES
Featuring Our Scholarship Program
On March 12, 2026, The Franklin Times featured our Terrell Lane Middle School scholarship recipients and our partnership with the Z.B. Collie Foundation.
By the Numbers
A Growing Community
- 20+ years serving Franklin County
- 400+ Society members
- 1,000+ newsletter subscribers
- 4 student scholarships since 2025
- $6,000 invested in student scholarships
Leadership & Transparency
Who We Are and How We Operate
Leadership
The People Behind the Society
Bob Radcliffe
Founder, Board Chairman and President
An engineer, former university instructor, and author, Bob founded the Society with Kerry Carter more than two decades ago, after they moved to Franklin County from Philadelphia. Today he leads its programs, hosts its dining events, and tends the greenhouse at Lynch Creek Farm.
Kerry Carter
Co-Founder, Board Treasurer and Secretary
Kerry oversees the Society's finances and records. Kerry is President of Charles Kerry Associates, a preservation architecture and interior design firm.
Board of Directors
Our volunteer Board guides the Society’s work and lends a hand on projects, from planning events to restoring our greenhouse.
- Jim Casazza
- Terry Crawford
- Will Hinton
- Denis Kingberg
- Jim Nutt
- Filomena Warihay, PhD
Transparency
Organization Details
- Legal Name
- Ben Franklin Society
- Status
- 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Public Charity
- Status
- 26-3737099
- Status
- 1973 Rocky Ford Road, Kittrell, NC 27544
- Donations
- Tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law
Get Involved
Become Part of Our Story
Whether you live down the road or across the country, there is a place for you in the Ben Franklin Society. Choose the way that fits you best.
Support a Student
Every $1,500 sends a Franklin County middle school student to a week of university marine science. Gifts of any size help.
Donate to the Scholarship Fund or give to the General FundBecome a Member
Join the Society, attend our fundraising dining events, and help sustain our programs year round.
Join the SocietyJoin Us at the Table
Reserve a seat at an upcoming Philly in the Woods dining event at our Lynch Creek Farm cabin.
Make a ReservationStay Connected
Our free monthly newsletter shares upcoming events, program updates, and news from the farm.
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