Saved before historic preservation took hold as a national movement, the Carter House State Historic Site is an example of the dedication of a handful of people. Historian and author Stanley Horn understood the importance of the Carter House, and along with State Librarian Dan Robison, petitioned the State of Tennessee to save the home and property. Rumors spread that the Carter House was to be sold and torn down to make way for a filling station, and in July 1951, the State of Tennessee purchased the Carter House for $26,000. The purchase price of the home was $20,000 and the remaining $6,000 was appropriated for “renovation and maintenance.”

Letter from Governor Browning to Dan Robison, State Librarian and Archivist, regarding the purchase of the Carter House.

In the time between the acquisition of the house in 1951, and the official opening to the public on May 14, 1953, many different projects were completed. Following the Civil War, the Carter family and subsequent owners made significant changes to the house and grounds. The early restoration work on the property included restructuring the roofline, removing a modern single room addition and dormers, and returning the Carter’s farm office to the location it occupied during the Battle of Franklin.

Carter House Blueprints

The 1952 blueprints of the Carter House show all of the changes required to return the home to its mid-nineteenth century appearance.

Carter House opening ceremony program

At the Carter House Formal Opening, Dan Robison, early advocate for the home’s preservation, related a special connection with Franklin. He remembered hearing his own father speak of the sounds of the guns and the scenes after the battle. He noted it was a “great satisfaction to see the Carter House restored.”

In order to return the house to its 1860s appearance, first-hand accounts from family members, as well as soldiers, describing the home were examined for relevant details. Paint analysis and architectural evaluations were completed in the 1990s showing the original structure and finishes for both the interior and exterior of the house.

Carter House family room after initial restoration in the 1960s

Carter House Floorcloth installation 2016

Wall Stud

This wall stud had to be removed from the home during the 2011 addition of a climate control system. Notice the rough surface of the wood showing it was cut by hand.

Bullets and Envelope

These two bullets were found in the walls of the Carter House during early restoration and were kept with this note. Many archaeological investigations have been performed on the property over the years with thousands of different discoveries.

Both the farm office and the smokehouse sustained considerable damage in the Battle of Franklin and require continual maintenance to preserve them without compromising the damage sustained over 150 years ago. The Farm Office was restored in 2017 and we hope the smokehouse will be completed in 2022.

Outbuildings before land reclamation and restoration efforts, 2014

Farm Office Restoration in progress, 2017

Restored Farm Office seen at the Annual November 30 illumination

We strive to keep the home as accurately restored as possible. Work continues year after year as more information is learned and resources become available. Although the Carter House is owned by the State of Tennessee, it is the daily visitors, The Battle of Franklin Trust members, and donors who help fund the ongoing work needed to keep the historic house open.

Special thanks to all the individuals and businesses who had a part in preserving and restoring these two houses over the past 70+ years. Without their work, we would not be able to tell Franklin’s story in the same way today.