FRANKLIN BECAME A CERTIFIED LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMUNITY Franklin became a Certified Local Government (CLG) community in 1990. The CLG program is based on preservation through partnership between local, state, and federal governments. Administered by the NPS in partnership with the THC and local governments, the CLG program assists communities in protecting their historic resources. Certified communities must organize a local historic preservation commission and enact a local historic zoning ordinance, survey and maintain an inventory of historic places, and facilitate public engagement. CLG communities receive priority access to federal grants and technical assistance from the THC. The THC administers the federal Historic Tax Credit (HTC) program in partnership with the NPS and Internal Revenue Service. The HTC program is the most significant investment by the federal government in encouraging private sector investment in rehabilitation of historic buildings. In many cases, the 20 percent tax credit makes rehabilitation of historic buildings financially feasible. Between 2002 and 2018, property owners in Franklin utilized the HTC program in the rehabilitation of 10 properties, more than any other town with less than 100,000 people in Tennessee.39 MTSU CENTER FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION BECAME A LEADING CATALYST Located in nearby Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) established a Historic Preservation program in 1973, which offered both undergraduate and graduate classes. In 1984, the Tennessee Legislature established the Center for Historic Preservation (CHP) at MTSU as part of a comprehensive statewide education reform program. The Center became a leading catalyst for promoting tourism and other economic development through use of local heritage resources. Since its inception, the Center has worked within the broader Mid-South region and assisted local governments and private property owners in the preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods. The Center has also taken the lead in creating and editing publications such as the Tennessee Historical Quarterly and the Tennessee Encyclopedia. In 2001, the Center took the lead on administering the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area (TCWNHA), which developed new programs associated with the Civil War and Reconstruction experience in Tennessee.40 Since the mid-1980s, the Center and the TCWNHA have been heavily involved in countless preservation efforts in Franklin. 39 Jones and Brackett 2019:64. 40 Huhta 2018. 72 FRANKLIN, TN | PRESERVATION PLAN
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTY1Mzc2