In 1819, five Nashville businessmen bought 90 acres of land that adjoined the western-most edge of the city of Franklin. This land became the first residential development in the area. It was named after the wealthy merchant it was purchased from, Hitchey Petway. Running from Main to Fair Streets, and Fifth to Eleventh, the homes there were built between 1828 and 1930, with architectural styles running from Federal to Bungalow.
All About the Developers
The builders were deeply tied to the rich history of Tennessee. Originally a lawyer, Felix Grundy served as Attorney General of the United States under Martin Van Buren, after having served as a Representative and then a Senator for the state of Tennessee. Grundy county is named after him.
Brother-in-law to Grundy, Randal McGavock, was a mayor of Nashville and the builder of Carnton Plantation. His daughter married General William Giles Harding, owner of Belle Meade Mansion. Carnton Plantation is famous for its connection with the Civil War, while Belle Meade became the largest thoroughbred horse farm in the South.
Alfred Balch was a personal friend of President Andrew Jackson, James Irwin was a steamboat captain, and James Trimble was a judge.
The Development
These men sold 59 lots, which currently contain 92 buildings. Hincheyville Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Besides the houses, the area contains St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
Churches
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
St Paul’s is the oldest Episcopal Church building in continuous use west of the Appalachian Mountains and the oldest congregation in Tennessee. It is the “Mother Church of the Diocese of the state of Tennessee.” According to the National Registry of Properties for Williamson County, Tennessee, the church was damaged during the Civil War, and they requested restitution for the damage done after the war. It was pretty much demolished, but the Bishop was able to get it rebuilt with the help of many powerful families in the area.
Standing behind wrought iron gates made from Williamson County iron, it is an excellent example of Gothic Revival architecture. The eight stained glass windows were donated by a parishioner and were created by Louis Comfort Tiffany, best known for his work in Art Deco stained glass. His glass process was lost with his death.
Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Cumberland Presbyterian Church is also of Gothic Revival style. According to visitfranklin.com, “Hugh Cathcart Thompson, who would later achieve fame as the architect of Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, the “Mother Church of Country Music,” designed the structure… The current steeple replaces one that blew down in the 1940s in a windstorm. The handmade pews with wooden pegs are original to the church; the stained glass is of more recent origin.”
Schools
Tennessee Female College was torn down in 1916, but beginning in 1857 it had provided local and out of state girls with what today would be considered a high school education. During this time, there were few if any public schools. Families paid a fee for their daughters to be educated and they were mostly from prominent families. This changed in the early 20th century and put many private schools out of business.
Beginning in 1811, Harpeth Academy was a school for boys. Started by the Presbyterian Church, it was eventually taken over by the Episcopalians and Bishop James Harvey Otey, who founded St. Paul’s, became the headmaster. It was destroyed during the Civil War. In the 1960’s a new school was started under the same name as a private preparatory elementary school. In 1998, it was purchased by Battle Ground Academy.
The first Franklin Public School was built in this area in the early 20th century.
Homes
There are many excellent examples of various architectural styles in the Hincheyville area. An excellent example of the Bungalow style, for example, can be seen at 1006 West Main Bungalow, while 932 West Main is Queen Anne. Other home styles include Greek Revival, Federal, Victorian, Italianate, Eastlake, Four Square, and Tudor Revival.
Bungalow. One of the most noticeable appointments of a bungalow-style house is the square tapered columns. These houses also tend to have a front porch and exposed beams. There are several types of bungalows, including craftsman, California, Tutor Revival, Modern, and Prairie.
Queen Anne. Asymmetrical and gabled with overhanging eaves, they also often have round, square or hexagonal towers and spindle work on porch supports.
Greek Revival. These homes are symmetrical with corniced columns and porched entrances.
Federal. A simple square or rectangular box, they may sometimes have wings. Adornment is usually classically elegant with leaf or geometric motifs.
Victorian. Always imposing, they are usually of two or three stories with steep, heavily faceted or Mansard roofs.
Italianate. Rarely one story, these homes have narrow windows with rounded tops, low pitched roofs, decorative brackets, and a small entry porch.
Eastlake. A form of Victorian, it is highly decorated with scrolls, latticework, beaded spindles, flourishes, and other stylized elements. These homes are often painted to show off the decoration in either contrasting earth tones or bright colors.
Foursquare. Like its name, a foursquare house is a box with a pyramidal roof and prominent dormers. The front porch runs the length of the house, but does not wrap around.
Tudor Revival. Half timbering and stucco are the identifying elements of a Tudor Revival home. First gaining strength in England in the latter part of the19th century, the style crossed the pond and was incorporated into many homes until the early 1950s.
