NEWS
The Battle of Franklin Trust Is Formed
October
28, 2009 | Posted by javal
Civil War Interactive Newswire
The board
of directors of The Carter House and The Historic Carnton Plantation
recently
entered into a joint venture to manage the operation of Franklin’s
two key Civil War sites
in an effort to better coordinate heritage tourism. The Battle of Franklin
Trust is the
new nonprofit whose board is comprised of comprised of five board members
from each joint
venture partner plus an additional director without affiliation to
either.
The Carter House is located on Columbia Avenue
and was the epicenter of the November 30,
1864 Battle of Franklin, described by historians as the five bloodiest
hours of the Civil
War because of the number of soldiers injured, killed or missing, approximately
10,000
soldiers from both Union and Confederate forces.
Carnton’s role in the battle came when
the home served as the largest field hospital in
the area of hundreds of wounded and dying Confederate soldiers. The
historic house sits
off Lewisburg Pike at the edge of the city’s Eastern Flank Battlefield
Park, approximately
one mile from The Carter House.
This strategic alliance is seen as a way to
greatly enhance the visitor experience by offering
such things as comprehensive battlefield tours, combination tickets
and seamless integration
with other battlefield sites. The interpretive approaches to the sites
will be preserved by
the two boards that continue in their role as fiduciaries of their
respective associations.
In making the announcement, The Battle of
Franklin Trust Board Chairman Marianne Schroer said,
“Together, The Carter House and Historic Carnton Plantation will have a
more powerful significance.
This venture has the potential of joining the ranks of Gettysburg,
Richmond and Charleston as
more local battle sites are reclaimed for public access by such groups
as the City of Franklin,
The Heritage Foundation and Franklin’s Charge. Certainly, the
opportunity to affiliate with
the National Park Service and the National Heritage Area are greatly
enhanced by this joint venture.
In addition, 2011 starts the monumental Sesquicentennial for the Civil
War and this is a strong
step in the direction of Franklin taking the lead for those efforts
across the State of Tennessee.”
The ambition to establish the Battle of Franklin
Interpretive Center will be realized sooner with
both boards working together to raise the funds. This Center is planned
for the adjacent property
to The Carter House which was formerly the Franklin High School gymnasium.
It was announced in
2007 as an interpretive and visitor center for The Carter House, but
now takes on a larger role.
The Carter House Board President Ed Underwood
said, “We have that gym property and this alliance
can make that an even better site. That is a central location for visitors
coming to Franklin
who are interested in the Civil War. They can go there to purchase
tickets and learn more about
where to go while on their visit.”
After several years in planning, this month
Historic Carnton Plantation opened its $1.2 million
dollar visitor center. Officially called The Fleming Center, the new
building is named after
Sam Fleming, a Franklin native and Middle Tennessee banker who was
a lifelong supporter of the museum.
The 7,000 square foot facility houses an expansive gift shop, Carnton
offices and an exhibit space
featuring “Hood’s Legacy,” which focuses on the Confederate
General John Bell Hood, the commander
of the Tennessee army who was defeated at the Battle of Franklin. “This
exhibit is believed to
be the largest collection of Hood artifacts gathered since his death
in 1879,” says Joanna Stephens,
Carnton’s curator. The Hood exhibit runs through December 1,
2009.
During the Battle of Franklin, Carnton was
used as a Confederate field hospital. It is adjacent
to the McGavock Confederate Cemetery which is home to the New York
Times bestseller, The Widow of
The South, by Robert Hicks. Hick’s second novel, A Separate Country,
focuses on the life of
John Bell Hood and is released in bookstores this month.
Recent
Interview With Dr. James Dobson
December
1-2, 2009 | Focus
on the Family
Dr. Dobson & his wife visited
The Carter House on a recent trip to Nashville. During
the tour Dr. Dobson was moved by the incredible story
of the battle and what the Carter family personally
lived through on that fateful day. The result was Dr.
Dobson asking permission to return to the site to do
an interview with historian and acting director, David
Fraley. The links below will take you to Focus on the
Family web site to listen to the web cast.
December
1 podcast. December
2 podcast.
Marianne
Schroer
