The Heritage Foundation

The Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County will host its 35th annual Town & Country Tour of Homes on Saturday, June 5 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, June 6 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Zeitlin & Co., Realtors is the presenting sponsor for the tour that benefits the Heritage Foundation. Eight historic homes will be on tour, with seven located in Historic Downtown Franklin.

TOWN & COUNTRY TOUR OF HOMES STEERED BY DAVID AND SUSAN MORRIS

The Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County has named downtown Franklin residents David and Susan Morris as chairs for the 35th annual Town & Country Tour of Homes presented by Zeitlin & Co., Realtors, according to Executive Director Mary Pearce. This year’s tour is slated for Saturday, June 5 and Sunday, June 6.

“The Morrises moved to downtown Franklin in 2001 and have spent the last decade volunteering and making a difference in preservation here in Williamson County. We’re thrilled they’re taking on this huge task of organizing our ever-popular Town & Country Tour,” Pearce said. This year’s event will showcase eight homes, seven in downtown Franklin and one just a 5-minute drive from downtown.

The Morrises met in their Mt. Juliet hometown church in 1985. A British and American literature graduate from Vanderbilt University, David was working with a Nashville investment firm while Susan was completing her nursing program at Belmont University in Nashville. They married in 1986 and moved to a Brooklyn Heights brownstone for his career move to First New York Securities in New York City. While he worked at the World Financial Center, she was a nurse at Mt. Sinai Medical Center. They eventually moved to Chappaqua, N.Y., the same neighborhood Bill and Hillary Clinton now call home.

“Middle Tennessee was calling us home,” says David. “We met Ernie and Nell Bacon, loved their downtown Franklin home and made an offer on the house next door. It took us six months to convince the owner, Roger Cook, to sell. Once ours, we spent nine months renovating this transitional style 1911 home which borrows both from Victorian and bungalow detailing. We love our home, downtown Franklin and Williamson County.”

David established an investment management firm, Church Street Advisors, and became actively engaged in several Franklin historic restoration projects, partnering with master craftsman Michael Lee. David, a community activist, is currently serving his third term as president of the Downtown Neighborhood Association.

Susan works in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit at Williamson Medical Center. They have three sons, Will, a junior political science major at Ole Miss; Luke, a senior at Franklin High; and Joe, a rising sophomore at Brentwood Academy.

“We are so excited about the collection of homes slated for the tour. We have a terrific range of architectural styles and periods dating from the early 19th to the early 21st centuries. Each home has been lovingly restored, decorated and furnished,” said Susan.

The historic homes on the Town & Country Tour will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 5 and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 6. Tickets are $25 each before the tour and $30 each on the days of the tour. They may be purchased by calling 615.591.8500, Ext. 18 or by visiting www.historicfranklin.com.

All proceeds from the tour benefit the work of the 43-year-old Heritage Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to protect and preserve the architectural, geographic and cultural heritage of Franklin and Williamson County and to promote the ongoing economic revitalization of downtown Franklin in the context of historic preservation. Saving the Franklin Theatre is currently the Heritage Foundation’s flagship project.

CARNTON GARDEN PARTY TO FEATURE AUTHOR ROBERT HICKS

The Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County presents a unique opportunity to visit with best-selling author Robert Hicks over dinner and wine at Historic Carnton Plantation. Hicks will lead tours and discuss the historic home and its magnificent 1847 gardens on Friday, June 4 at 6 p.m. Well-known preservationist Danny Anderson is chairing the event.

Hicks penned the New York Times best-seller The Widow of the South, an historical novel which tells the story of Carnton matriarch Carrie McGavock and her role in caring for the wounded and dead after the horrific Battle of Franklin.

“Robert will bring history to life as he tells the story of not only this incredible home and the gardens, but the people who lived and died here,” said Pearce. “If you’ve read his book, you know the treat that’s in store for you. You’ll feel you know Carrie McGavock – who turned her home into a Confederate hospital – personally.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for Franklin residents, and for visitors from out of town who are coming to participate in our 35th Annual Town & Country Tour of Homes on Saturday and Sunday.”

Civil War buffs, gardeners and those who would enjoy a unique evening beneath the stars, surrounded by history and beauty, will revel in this special occasion.

Tickets are available for $45 per person, and include a wonderful Southern summer supper, wine, music and tours, as well as entrance to the historic Carter House at a later date.

For the serious gardeners, Carnton head gardener Justin Stelter – who also leads the effort at The Hermitage in Nashville – will discuss heirloom cultivars, espalier and what he’s learned about gardening in early America through his studies at places like Monticello and Mt. Vernon. Carnton’s garden features species hostas, a 150-year-old Osage orange tree, old stock roses and peonies, and one of the largest collections of historic daffodils in the nation. While not everything will be in bloom, the gardens should be glorious with late spring splendor.

“This event has something for anyone who has an interest in history,” said Pearce. “Architecture, antiques, gardens, the Civil War and a historical novelist who is a captivating speaker and a gracious Southern host. The evening will be intimate, yet casual. Tickets are limited, so we encourage those interested to purchase as soon as possible,” said Pearce.

Tickets may be purchased by calling the Heritage Foundation at (615) 591-8500 x18. Proceeds will benefit both the Heritage Foundation and the Battle of Franklin Trust. Tickets to the Town & Country Tour of Homes on June 5 and 6 are $25 in advance or $30 on the days of the tour.