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Williamson County Residents Keep History Alive Through Preservation and Celebration

McGavock Confederate Cemetery

McGavock Confederate Cemetery is the nation’s oldest privately-held Confederate cemetery.

Shoppers along Franklin’s Victorian-era Main Street‚ young families renovating 200-year-old homes and even horses grazing beside stacked-stone walls demonstrate Williamson County’s close relationship with the past.

While some communities rush to replace aging structures with gleaming new ones‚ residents here prefer to protect the past for future generations to enjoy.

“Williamson County has been at the forefront in preserving our heritage‚” says Thomas Cartwright‚ director of The Carter House‚ a National Historic Landmark.

“We’re deeply interested in the homes‚ the cemeteries and the memories of individuals who laid the foundations of our lives today.”

Much of the world learned about Franklin’s Carnton Plantation in 2005‚ with the release of Widow of the South‚ a best-selling book of historical fiction based on the life Carnton’s mistress‚ Carrie McGavock. But to residents here‚ the story of the McGavock family and its role in the 1864 Battle of Franklin is part of daily life.

Carnton‚ which served as a hospital following the historic battle‚ has been preserved‚ as has the history of the five-hour conflict that has been called “the bloodiest hours of the American Civil War.”

“Certainly‚ Nov. 30‚ 1864‚ is a day that still reverberates in this county’s history‚” Cartwright says. “Preservation efforts and noting the history of our county have been going on for many years.”

Cartwright credits a long line of preservation activists with planting a respect for local history throughout the county. As early as 1905‚ efforts were being made to save important battlefield sites‚ including Fort Granger‚ an earthen Civil War battlement‚ the Carnton Plantation and The Carter House‚ which served as the city’s Federal Command Post. Winstead Hill‚ where Confederate troops gathered before the Battle of Franklin‚ is today part of a 61-acre city park.

Residents from all walks of life are involved in activities that are tied to local history‚ such as the 142nd anniversary of the Battle of Franklin in 2006. The daylong celebration included a walk‚ along with lectures and living history reenactments at The Carter House.

The Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County was founded in 1967 and continues to advocate on behalf of historic resources throughout the community.

Ongoing preservation efforts include the purchase of 110 acres of former battlefield property‚ which supporters hope to eventually transfer to the federal government for establishment of a national park.

The Heritage Foundation‚ along with the Williamson County Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Save the Franklin Battlefield organization‚ also have put together a driving tour that provides an up-close look at historic highlights of the area.

Far from stale or academic‚ history remains fresh and alive here. Nowhere is that more apparent than in downtown Franklin‚ where a vibrant 15-block National Historic Register District welcomes shoppers and diners to more than 70 businesses.

Even the Williamson County Library and the Williamson County Archives and Museum interpret the area’s history‚ not just through books and records‚ but also with colorful exhibits and artifacts‚ including a whiskey still. And each fall‚ a Haunted Franklin Ghost Tour highlights infamous occurrences from the past‚ such as public lynchings and street-corner shootings‚ along with visits to Civil War sites.

“Some people might ask: What’s important about history?

Those people are dead and gone‚” says Cartwright‚ a lifelong Middle Tennessee resident. “But history is important.

Learning about history is one way to ensure that the mistakes of the past aren’t repeated.”

Story by Renee Elder
Photo by Brian McCord

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