Assessment of Two City of Franklin Cemeteries, Franklin, Tennessee

Trinkley, Michael; Hacker, Debi

From management summary: "This study was funded by a grant from the Tennessee Historical Commission. The project was administered by the City of Franklin, Tennessee and the field investigations were conducted from July 29 through 31, 2014. Report production followed immediately afterwards. The study examines the City of Franklin’s two oldest burial grounds. City Cemetery began in 1811 and was used by the area’s citizens, black and white, until just prior to the Civil War. This cemetery, encompassing about 2 acres, was situated on the outskirts of the community, next to the Harpeth River. It is today bounded by North Margin Street on the south and North Third Avenue to the west. On the east is the newly completed North Third Avenue extension. In 1855 what became known as Rest Haven Cemetery opened immediately across North Third Avenue from City Cemetery. This cemetery, about 7 acres in size, was reserved exclusively for whites. Blacks presumably continued to use the filled City Cemetery until the African American Toussaint L’Ouverture Cemetery opened in 1884. A cemetery assessment is designed to help the cemetery caregivers to think about long-range preservation in a structured way, to better understand what is significant and why, and how it should be managed in order to preserve its historical significance and ensure the cemetery’s preservation for future generations. Issues of access, roads, security, landscape maintenance, and monuments are examined. Current conditions are detailed and recommendations are offered. Franklin, Tennessee is doing an admirable job preserving and protecting its historic houses and battlefield. The two City cemeteries could provide exceptional benefits to these efforts. Unfortunately, maintenance has been minimal and it is reported that in the past local citizens, in an effort to control rank vegetation, simply burned off the cemeteries yearly. Even more recently it appears that maintenance has been limited to mowing. After decades of either inaction or minimal action, the two cemeteries were transferred to Franklin’s Parks Department and this grant was secured. Conditions in both cemeteries are desperate. About 20% of City Cemetery’s stone boundary wall requires repair. Fully 40% of the stone boundary wall at Rest Haven requires repair or rebuilding. About 40% of the chain link fence along City Cemetery’s north boundary requires extensive repairs. It is critical that a western boundary fence be constructed at Rest Haven Cemetery." Project funding was provided in part by a 2013 Historic Preservation Fund grant to the City of Franklin (project number TN-13-021) administered by the Tennessee State Historic Preservation Office (grant number P13AF00110) and the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Franklin, Tennessee is a Certified Local Government.

Assessment of Two City of Franklin Cemeteries, Franklin, Tennessee

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