UPDATE: January 12, 2024: Due to expected upcoming extreme cold temperatures and inclement weather over the next week that will impact the careful measures that are part of the move process, the Lee-Buckner Schoolhouse move to Franklin Grove has been delayed until February 2nd.
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FRANKLIN, TENN. (January 8, 2024) – After many years of planning, coordination, and care, Lee-Buckner, the last remaining Rosenwald School in Williamson County, will be moved on January 19 from its current isolated location in Spring Hill, Tennessee, to the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County’s Franklin Grove Estate & Gardens in downtown Franklin, Tennessee, to be restored, preserved, and transformed into an accessible and lasting monument to education and Black history.
“We learned about Lee-Buckner in 2018, and immediately knew we had to do everything possible to save this remarkable piece of history. Now it can become a destination that’s easily accessible to the public so generations to come can learn from it,” said Bari Beasley, President and CEO of the Heritage Foundation. “Over the years, I have frequently been moved to tears hearing testimonials from former students about how this school changed their lives. I can’t wait for the schoolhouse to become part of our community, and for stories about this historic cultural destination to be heard by audiences across the country.”
The Rosenwald School project built more than 5,000 schools, shops, and teacher homes in the United States during the early 20th century, primarily for the education of Black children in the rural South. Many of those properties have been demolished over the years, however, and today, about 60 former Rosenwald Schools are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“I’m so thankful to the Heritage Foundation for working so hard to get this school. It’s going to be here at Franklin Grove, and I’m so excited. Thank you to all of you who made this happen,” said Georgia Harris, a former student of Lee-Buckner, at the November 2023 groundbreaking for Franklin Grove.
The Heritage Foundation has been preparing for many years to move Lee-Buckner, working with former students, Black community leaders, historians, preservationists, architects, and engineers to capture oral histories, stabilize the building, and plan for its restoration. The school will become a permanent part of Franklin Grove in downtown Franklin, Tennessee, an emerging landmark cultural site that will create a sense of place, timelessness, and beauty for all people to engage with education, art, history, and nature.
The historic schoolhouse will be moved carefully in the early-morning hours of January 19, delivered to its new home by tractor-trailer. The Heritage Foundation has arranged for a former student to ride with the schoolhouse to its new home in a symbolic and transformative moment for Williamson County.
The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County has coordinated with local and state municipalities to limit the impact on traffic during the early morning move.
Special Event at The Franklin Theatre on January 11th to Set Stage for Historic Move
Before the move, on January 11th, The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County will host a special event at The Franklin Theatre, unveiling a temporary photograph exhibit, Building Community, Leaving A Legacy: Lee-Buckner Rosenwald School Oral Histories and Photographs.
This exhibit was curated by the Heritage Foundation’s preservation team and funded through a grant provided by Humanities Tennessee. The event will include the unveiling of the photograph exhibit and a roundtable conversation with the alumni and the Heritage Foundation’s preservation team.
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. followed by a roundtable discussion about Lee-Buckner Rosenwald School, its history, the preservation of the school, and the experiences of its alumni at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
For more information on Lee-Buckner, visit: https://williamsonheritage.org/portfolio-posts/lee-buckner-schoolhouse/
ABOUT THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY
Since 1967, the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County has been dedicated to preserving Williamson County’s architectural, geographic and cultural heritage as well as promoting the ongoing revitalization of downtown Franklin in the context of historic preservation. Notable projects include The Franklin Theatre, Roper’s Knob, parts of the Franklin battlefield and the Old, Old Jail. Events and festivals produced by the Heritage Foundation such as Main Street Festival, the Heritage Ball, PumpkinFest and Dickens of a Christmas bring an estimated 300,000+ locals and visitors to downtown Franklin each year that creates more than a $10 million economic impact annually. The Heritage Foundation owns and operates The Franklin Theatre, Downtown Franklin Association, Franklin Grove Estate & Gardens, and its newest historic adaptive reuse project: The History & Culture Center of Williamson County. For more information about the Heritage Foundation, visit www.williamsonheritage.org.
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