The white building off Bridge Street in Franklin will soon be getting a facelift in order to soon become the permanent home of The Heritage Foundation, one of Franklin’s active historical preservation groups.
The Heritage Foundation purchased the vacant three story building known as the Old, Old Jail in 2013 for $25,000. The building is 53 years old, and has served a number of functions for Franklin and Williamson County including its initial function as a jail, as well as housing the DMV, welfare services office, general storage and the Williamson County archives. For the past two decades the building has sat empty, and it needs some major renovations and environmental remediation before anyone can move in to the space.
The building was first estimated need about $1.5 million for repairs, but after all costs were considered the bill for the building reaches over $2 million. Basic renovations and repairs came out to cost about $1.3 million, but there are additional costs such as $100,000 for a much needed environmental remediation and around $325,000 for a parking lot and event space, and the foundation would also like to add about 1,000 sq. ft. to the building at a cost of $475,000. The Heritage Foundation sent out word last week that renovations had begun on the building.
The building was built in 1941 in the Art Deco style of architecture, which is rare in Franklin. The Old, Old Jail has a spot on the National Register of Historic Places and the Heritage Foundation has plans to turn it into a hub of meeting places for Franklin’s preservation groups.
The Foundation currently operates out of the newly renovated FirstBank in downtown Franklin, which is also the site of the historic Five Points Post Office. Mary Pearce of the Heritage Foundation says the foundation needs a space of their own for offices and meeting space in order to enhance their preservation work and provide a space where Franklin’s preservations groups can come together.
The Old, Old Jail has been envisioned by the Heritage Foundation as a place for the community gather about historic preservation, and as a new home for the Foundation.
Check out a video interview with Mary Pearce of the Heritage Foundation as she talks about the Old, Old Jail project.
