In the 1980s, the façade of the building was utilized as the facade shot of the fictional St. Eligius Hospital in the television series "St. Elsewhere." Today, Franklin Square continues its rich heritage of affordable housing by providing 193 low-income senior living units. The building has been preserved and is being used for other purposes. Franklin Square was originally built in 1866 to provide housing for railway workers. It was converted into a hospital in 1969 after being used as a nursing home for elderly people who were residents of Staten Island. In 1987, St. Elsewhere was released, which caused many viewers to remember how much they disliked the show but also made them want to visit St. Elsewhere's imaginary hospital. So the production team decided to use Franklin Square as the setting for this new hospital. They even hired some of the original set designers from St. Elsewhere to do so. Since then, Franklin Square has become a popular location for movies and TV shows to use as a background. Such films as Goodfellas, Dreamgirls, and The Hunger Games (2013) have all been shot here. Franklin Square is an example of a Victorian-era apartment building with modified floor plans. There are two apartments on each floor, with a common area between them that includes a kitchen, dining room, and bathroom.