
BATTLEFIELD PRESERVATION
Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin Battlefield and Carter House Plans
The Battle of Franklin occurred on November 30, 1864. Today most of the battlefield has been developed, and the remaining lands are greatly threatened by development pressures. The Walker Collaborative (TWC) was hired to prepare an NPS ABPP-funded plan to protect the remaining battlefield lands. The plan evaluated and prioritized parcels, proposed a range of preservation strategies, recommended physical enhancements, and addressed interpretation.
Among the recommendations was the transformation of a 100-acre golf course back to its original battlefield condition, which has since been completed.
Several parcels have also been acquired and cleared of development around the Carter House. As the largest battlefield reclamation project in the country, it has gained national attention through National Geographic magazine and several other national publications. Two years after the battlefield plan, TWC was hired as part of a consulting team to prepare a master plan for the State-owned Carter House site, considered “ground zero” for the battle. Among the plan’s proposals were: demolition of the current visitors center; adaptive reuse of an adjacent former gymnasium for a state-of-the-art interpretive center; reconfiguration of the parking lot; recreation of Union entrenchment lines; and a variety of themes/stories for interpretation.