News from Franklin

[gary]

Sam Huffman of the Save The Franklin Battlefield wrote me:

"BIG NEWS - STFB along with Carter House, Carnton, Heritage Foundation
and 4 other local non-profits formed Franklins Charge non-profit to buy
112 acres of golf course just north of Carnton. STFB already owns 3.25
acre Collins Farm at the RR and Lewisburg Pike just west of the golf course.

We have raised 2.5 million with the help of CWPT and others to match
City of Franklin 2.5 million to make the 5 million purchase. The City
has signed their half of the deal. Hope to close on it by Nov 30 this
year. We now need to raise another 100K for closing and financing costs
and we are hard at work on that.

Many details to yet squash, but we are getting close to having a real
start on a battlefield park here in Franklin. Cross your fingers.

ALSO, in June the City has purchased the Pizza Hut site as a city park -
Thomas Cartwright is ecstatic - the rest of us are as well. "

BTW, I hate golf. Anytime we can git rid of a golf course for a park or rifle range, I'm all for it.

[scone]

I helped Gunny, Put the Johnson Div Marker uip Thursday.. Marker looks wonderfull and I hope to be able able to help him do the rest that he is planing on placeing on the grounds

A big hats off to all those that have helped any shape or form

regards, steven.

[ole]

Originally Posted by gary

BTW, I hate golf. Anytime we can git rid of a golf course for a park or rifle range, I'm all for it.

Gary: I shot a golf once -- couldn't figure out how to skin it.

[showmegal]

We visited Carter House on June 30 and was told by our guide that the city has put a new roof on Pizza Hut building but didn't know why? Anyone know what's up with that?

[scone]

ShowMeGal, I hope you enjoyed your stay in the area..

regards, Steven

PS.
This was posted in the Tennessean Newspaper just before your visit.

Restaurant not being torn down (yet), but red roof's gone
By NELLANN METTEE and KEVIN WALTERS Staff Writers

FRANKLIN — In case you were wondering, the men climbing on top of the old Pizza Hut building on Columbia Avenue aren't on the taxpayers' dime.
They are, according to city Codes Director Gary Luffman, working for Pizza Hut — and that "new roof" isn't really a sturdy roof. It's just shingles on top of plywood.

"We thought they were repairing the whole building," Luffman said.

The city is in the process of buying the Pizza Hut building, which sits in a spot where intense fighting occurred during the Nov. 30, 1864 Battle of Franklin. Once Franklin becomes the rightful owner, it has plans to tear the structure down — and turn the site into a grassy spot.

"When it ceases to be a Pizza Hut, it doesn't need to look like a Pizza Hut," said Pizza Hut spokesperson Patty Sullivan, explaining the recent work, which included painting the Columbia Avenue building blue. "It's just to remove anything from the Pizza Hut brand. If we are no longer conducting business in that facility, then we take down anything that tied it to our brand."

That included the red roof, pieces of which Mayor Tom Miller says he's keeping.

Sullivan couldn't confirm whether Pizza Hut or the building owner funded the renovations, but Luffman said Pizza Hut was behind the work.

Miller stopped by the Battlefield Preservation Plan Task Force's monthly committee meeting on Thursday and was peppered with questions from committee members about the work on the building.

Committee members initially expressed confusion about the sight of crews working on the roof, which some took to mean that the building was about to be demolished.

"They took the red roof off," Miller told the members. "The building is still intact. They put a new roof on."

"We need to get the national media here before you tear anymore down," said Mary Pearce, committee member and executive director of the Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County.

After being told by Miller that crews were only putting on a new roof, Pearce was relieved: "When it's demolished, that will be an event."

[gary]

Thanks Scone for being our man on point in Franklin.

[scone]

My pleasure Gary,

I actually dont live in Franklin just keep up with it alot.

Regards,
Steven

[showmegal]

Thanks for the update, Scone! We did enjoy our trip tho as usual tried to see too much to take enough time anywhere. We saw Ft. Negley, General Ewell's grave, Franklin sites, Chattanooga, Chickamauga, Stones River, the Great Locomotive Chase sites, Kennesaw, Atlanta Cyclorama, General Gordon and others graves in Oakland Cemetary (needs some TLC!), Andersonville, Jimmy Carter's sites in Plains, Port Columbus Museum, and FDR's Warm Springs. Also detoured on the way home to see new Lincoln Museum in Springfield, Ill. Only had 4 hours there and needed an entire day! Would love to go back to Andersonville with my own personal all-knowing guide!

[scone]

Most welcome Glad you had a grand ol time. Looks like you had a real busy trip. I been to several of the sites you went to & would love to seem them all again. Andersonville & Port Columbus are wonderfull sites.

regards, Steven