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6. Green-Moore House (932 West Main Street)
ABOUT THE GREEN-MOORE HOUSE:
The Green-Moore House has the most scandalous history of all the homes on this list. After local banker E.E. Green’s first wife died, he moved their home from West Main Street to the corner of Tenth Avenue and Fair Street to make space for this majestic brick Queen Anne Victorian where he lived with his second wife Sallie Horton and three children. Built in 1896, the house includes a turret room, gazebo room, library, and nine fireplaces—a stunning display of E.E.’s financial success.
The only problem—E.E. was a cashier at the National Bank of Franklin, and people started to wonder how he could afford such a lavish lifestyle on a cashier’s salary. In 1926, everything fell apart when three sisters visited the bank to withdraw cash for a memorial gift to the University of the South in honor of their brother, and E.E. refused to give them their money. Turns out, E.E. had been borrowing from depositor’s savings accounts, stealing valuables from personal deposit boxes, and “cooking the books.” E.E. was sent to federal prison for 15 years, and his family was forced to leave their home and live with Sally’s mother.
The Green-Moore House still retains its original doorknob, which bears the name of the disgraced banker.
WHY I LOVE THIS HOUSE:
Though I will admit to being intrigued by a juicy scandal, I loved the Green-Moore House long before I learned of E.E. Green’s fall from grace. This home served as the inspiration for one of the main character’s (Charlotte Clark) houses in my novel Finding Franklin. With its wrap-around porch and turret room, the Green-Moore House captured my imagination and provided a magical setting for the book. I did take some artistic liberties though—in Finding Franklin, the home has fallen into serious disrepair, but in reality, the Green-Moore House is a beautifully preserved showplace.
