Tour of Homes highlights Franklin

Staff


Each year in June, the Heritage Foundation of Franklin & Williamson County facilitates walk-throughs of the community’s more storied properties—an event that underscores the importance of historic preservation and acts as an important fundraiser for the non-profit.

Eleven local property owners will open their doors to host the 39th Annual Town & Country Tour of Homes this year, June 7-8. In honor of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Franklin, the tour will feature homes and buildings standing on that fateful day, and place a special emphasis on the Civil War tales surrounding the respective property.

“All but two of our featured properties witnessed what happened on November 30, 1864, and have either been exceptionally preserved or rehabilitated,” said Kristy Williams, Tour of Homes coordinator. “People lived or worked in each of those buildings, and all have stories to tell about the Battle of Franklin and its aftermath.”

As a new feature, the event will include costumed re-enactors at many of the sites. Trained volunteers will be stationed throughout the properties to relay stories of the Battle of Franklin as it relates to the respective homes or businesses, from the perspectives of the people in the midst of the fray.

“Those eyewitnesses never forgot the war, and this year’s tour goers will always remember the first-person stories that will make the 2014 Tour of Homes one of the most memorable events yet,” Williams said. “This particular facet of the event is a valuable component for the Heritage Foundation, because it gives participants a unique look at why we work so hard to preserve our legacies. It acts as an educational tool for the organization.”

This year’s event features 11 properties with a focus on antebellum structures.