RECONSTRUCTION AND CIVIL RIGHTS STORIES WERE DOCUMENTED Not all of the preservation efforts in the late 1990’s were focused on the Battle of Franklin and related Civil War stories. Local preservation activists began to collect and share stories about the Reconstruction and Civil Rights eras. Preservationists began to focus on a more diverse and inclusive preservation of Franklin’s history. Among the efforts that occurred was the formation of the African American Heritage Society of Williamson County in 1992. AAHS was established to preserve and interpret the rich history of Franklin’s African American communities, concentrating in large part on the Hard Bargain and Natchez neighborhoods. THE MCLEMORE HOUSE BECAME A BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM In 1996, the Heritage Foundation led efforts to purchase an important site in Franklin - the Harvey McLemore House. Harvey McLemore, a formerly enslaved man, had purchased the property in 1880, creating the impetus for the development of the Hard Bargain neighborhood. After purchasing this important historical site, the Heritage Foundation conveyed it to AAHS. With help from local and State partners and the CHP at MTSU, the AAHS converted the home into a Black history museum known as the McLemore House. Today, the museum conducts tours and is the focal point for activities conducted by AAHS including oral history programs, research, cultural heritage events (including Juneteenth celebrations), and promotion of public awareness of Franklin’s rich African American history. 77
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