The Franklin & Williamson County Heritage Foundation holds the Tour of Homes Annually as a fundraiser for their organization. This year is the 38th annual event and they have 9 magnificent properties for you to become acquainted with on the tour. Join them on June 1st and 2nd for this chance to see the community’s dedication to protect the architectural and cultural resources of the area.
Tickets are available online or by calling (615) 591-8500, ext. 18. The homes and businesses on this year’s tour will showcase architectural styles of the 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as modern interpretations of Federal, Victorian and French Country-style homes in a newer neighborhood. Heritage Foundation Membership and Development Director Kristy Williams said that while everyone loves the historic homes, the new builds are always a welcome and eye-opening aspect to the tour. “Most of our featured properties have either been exceptionally preserved or rehabilitated, but we’re also featuring three contemporary homes, an always-fun addition to the tour.”
Each of the Modern Homes is located in Westhaven, a community designed to mimic the character and charm of downtown Franklin. “It’s a valuable component for the Heritage Foundation, because it gives homeowners a tangible look at how a new build can respect its geographical heritage. It really serves as an educational tool for the organization,” said Williams.
Tour destinations will include historic Leiper’s Fork and Historic Downtown Franklin. The 1849 Pleasant View Farm, also known as Gentry Farm is one of the stops as is the Gentry’s Farm Log Cabin an 1869 home place. The early 1900’s Leiper’s Fork Inn just down the road from Westhaven offers a view at 100 year old cottages combined to create a bed and breakfast. Second Avenue South’s 1910 Southern Colonial Revival Home, the location of Outdoor Classic Structures, will be open for viewing and the Historic Reynolds Bungalow built in 1915 over on South Margin Street will also be on the tour. It was a boarding house for Battle Ground Academy Students back in the day.
Ty’s House, the unique Second Empire-style residential structure on Mt. Hope Street, was recently renovated to preserve the ca. 1905 home. The Mount Hope Perpetual Care Association (the adjacent cemetery’s non-profit organization) and Hard Bargain Association (HBA) took great care to save the fish-scale gable detailing and extensively rehabilitated the property, which now serves as a community center and office for HBA.
In Westhaven, Paul Huff of Stonegate Homes constructed a French Country-style home that lends a casual cottage feel. Just around the corner in the neighborhood, participants will walk through a two-story Federal-style home, representative of the stately simplicity found in the earliest home still standing in Downtown Franklin. While still in Westhaven, the public will get a look into a Victorian Italianate-style home on Stonewater Boulevard. This popular version of Victorian-era architecture is also seen throughout the Historic Downtown Franklin commercial district.
Since 1967, the not-for-profit Heritage Foundation’s mission has been to protect and preserve the architectural, geographic and cultural heritage of Franklin and Williamson County, and to promote the ongoing economic revitalization of downtown Franklin in the context of historic preservation. Find out more about the foundation at www.historicfranklin.com.
