At 9:00 a.m. on November 12, the African American Heritage Society of Williamson County celebrated their closure of the historic Merrill Williams house located at 264 Natchez Street. This comes just six months after they entered the running to be considered as one of many purchasers of the home following a series of emails and phone calls announcing the listing of the house.
“And mama, by the next day, the whole city of Franklin was interested and excited,” said Cassandra Taylor. “No one was more excited than my classmate, Alma Lee.”
The previous owners, Cassandra and Wilbert Taylor, were present at the luncheon, along with their daughter. Taylor began her emotional speech from a letter that she addressed to her parents.
“You wouldn’t believe how far Franklin has come, Mama and Daddy,” said Taylor.
The former house of Taylor’s parents is located where a portion of the Federal line of defense ran, which is now facing 11th Avenue. It was once a part of the Carter Farm prior to the Civil War. The house is within the National Register-listed Natchez Street Historic District, whose history represents important and often overlooked truths about the true development of Franklin. This historic neighborhood became a strong African American safe haven that survived the terror of the Klan and the racism of Jim Crow America, yet survived to witness the transformations of the Civil Rights Movement. This area still serves today as a foundation for African American identity and culture in Franklin.
Mayor Ken Moore of Franklin, was also there to celebrate this event and said “we’re just getting started. Praise be.”
Once renovations on the house are completed, a section will be used as office space for the AAHS and there will be designated areas that will portray the history of Natchez Street. It will be Franklin’s first Heritage Center.
The celebration closed with a lunch provided by MoeBetter BBQ and Fish. It could not have been a more perfect day to celebrate such a huge accomplishment towards telling the many stories of Franklin’s Natchez Street district and the Black community.
For more information and to make a donation, click here.
