In his book The Great Good Place (1999), sociologist Ray Oldenburg provides a contemporary framework for thinking about the importance of social spaces. Oldenburg suggests that there are 3 domains or "spaces" in which humans reside; Home, work, and a "third space" where everyone can feel welcome and comfortable.
These are third places, the foundation of a functioning community and the heart of a community’s social vitality. People gather here frequently, willingly, and informally.

The main activity in a third place is conversation. They are a site of intellectual and political forum.

They're easily accessible to the public, they promote social equality by leveling the status of guests and providing a neutral setting for all parties to come together in, bringing youth and adults together in relaxed enjoyment.

They provide entertainment and create habits of public association; Featuring regulars, a playful mood, often feeling like a home away from home.

Locals feel that they can go to the space alone and encounter acquaintances.

They benefit and build the community by helping newcomers “assimilate” into the new neighborhood and “often serve to bring together for the first time, people who will create other forms of association later on.” Third spaces may be a staging area in times “of local crisis,” offering psychological support to individuals and communities.”

The diversity of human contact that one can experience in these places helps the individuals and the community develop a sense of well-being, belonging, and connectedness that contributes to the overall health of the community.

These places promote civil society, democracy, civic engagement, and establish feelings of a sense of place.

The lot on which the Franklin House was built has been the epicenter of informal social life in Glassboro for over 200 years.It is constant and steady, it is an integral part of the community: "It is not a place outsiders find necessarily interesting or notable. It is a forum of association which is beneficial only to the degree that it is well-integrated into daily life. Not even to its inhabitants is the third place a particularly intriguing or exciting locale. It is simply there, providing opportunities for experiences and relationships that are otherwise unavailable."

The Landmark embodies this, almost its own member of the community, a third space for students and Glassboro locals alike, creating a connection between these two communities.

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