A DUAL IDENTITY BLENDS HISTORY AND OPPORTUNITY AS FRANKLIN THRIVES BY SUSAN LEATH ER S
H
istoric Franklin has achieved what many small towns across the South only aspire to. The city’s original commercial and residential district, first platted in 1800, has survived war, segregation, urban renewal and economic ups and downs, and is perhaps more popular and beloved than ever. It’s charming. It’s walkable. And there’s nary an empty storefront to be found.
20
The bright art-deco marquee of the c. 1937 Franklin Theater makes a statement on Main Street. Reopened in 2011 after an $8 million restoration, the 300-seat theater is now one of Middle Tennessee’s favorite venues for an intimate concert experience. It also stages community theater productions, hosts community benefits and, yes, even shows a few movies each week.
Historic Franklin’s annual street festivals attract hundreds of thousands of people each year. And yet, it’s hard to fathom this small downtown – with many homes and buildings that date back to the 1800s and early 1900s -is the heart of a city that today almost 72,000 residents call home. Yet this doesn’t mean downtown Franklin is stuck in the past. Harpeth Square, a $105 million mixed-use project still under construction, is transforming an entire block of downtown Franklin’s northern gateway. Few, though, would have described the largely empty lot it’s replacing as either historic nor charming. And it will bring a much-needed hotel to downtown. When completed later this year, Harpeth Square will also have 150 apartments and just under 19,000 square feet of retail and office space.
GUIDE TO WILLIAMSON COUNTY
Franklin Duel Identity.indd 20
4/18/19 12:35 PM
