Franklin TN – The Perfect Blend of Progress and History
The city of Franklin blends progress and history to create a unique sense of place. It boasts top employers, a beautiful downtown and excellent schools.
Founded in 1799, Franklin TN has a long, rich history. It was the site of two Civil War battles and is home to a popular music festival.
Downtown Franklin
Franklin is known for its quaint downtown neighborhood. The 16-block district has shops and restaurants that you wouldn’t find at the average mall. From Kilwins candy shop to the restaurant/music venue combo Gray’s on Main, you won’t be short of things to do in this historic neighborhood.
The city also hosts a number of signature events each year that showcase its community spirit. From the Franklin Rodeo to a summer concert series at the Franklin Theater, there’s always something going on in this lively city.
Many homes in Franklin’s downtown neighborhood are on the National Register of Historic Places. This makes the area a must-visit for history buffs. The downtown Franklin community is also an attractive option for families thanks to its top-rated schools and convenient location. Its high cost of living, however, may make it unaffordable for some prospective residents. Public transit is an option that Franklin residents can utilize, as are Uber and Lyft.
Harlinsdale Park
The 200 acre Park at Harlinsdale Farm was once a nationally known horse breeding operation. The park is home to the Historic Main Barn and has been described as one of the most significant historic farms associated with modern Tennessee Walking Horse industry. It is also the location for Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Experience, a two-day music event that features headliners such as Keith Urban and The Foo Fighters.
The Park has a 3 acre pond approved for catch and release fishing (fishing license required), a 4-acre dog park, a 5k soft turf track and numerous walking, hiking and riding trails. It is also a venue for community events such as the Great Americana BBQ festival and Franklin Polo Academy matches.
From the parking lot take the paved road to the right away from the main entrance and travel along the perimeter of the park using the mowed horse path with white fence trail markers. It will lead you past the pond, a tree farm and close to Franklin Rd before going back into the fields with rolling fields, a paved equestrian road and then the North entrance fields.
The Battle of Franklin
Until recently, this bloody engagement was mostly forgotten. It was one of the most disastrous battlefield defeats in American history, resulting in a staggering Confederate casualty total.
National Geographic magazine has called it “the Civil War’s unjustly neglected battle.” The effort to recover and interpret its legacy was a major turning point in the preservation of America’s threatened historic open space.
The morning of November 30, 1864, Fountain Branch Carter watched his front yard in Franklin fill with blue-clad Union soldiers pitching tents and setting campfires along the Columbia Pike, the macadamized road that ran past his red-brick farmhouse.
By 4:00 p.m., LTG John Bell Hood’s Army of Tennessee had launched a frontal assault against the strongly fortified Union field positions commanded by Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield at Franklin, just south of Nashville. A series of command failures and Hood’s premature confidence that he had trapped Schofield spelled disaster for the Confederacy.
Outdoor Life
Franklin offers a range of outdoor adventures, from nature walks to hot air balloon rides and historic house tours. These trips are perfect for a day out with the family or an afternoon excursion with friends.
For those who want to step back in time, the Lotz House Museum and the Carnton plantation are great places to experience what it was like during the Civil War. The city also has phenomenal walking tours where you can see what it was like to be a Franklin resident during the Civil War.
During the summer, it is not uncommon to see families in kayaks or canoes on the small lake at the Westhaven community. The town’s parks are also a popular place to spend the day. Throughout the year, residents enjoy hiking, bike riding and enjoying nature at the parks. The city has 18 different parks with a variety of amenities including walking trails, playgrounds, picnic areas and fishing ponds.