TOUSSAINT L’OUVERTURE CEMETERY IS PRESERVED In the mid-1990’s, local preservationists, aided by CHP at MTSU, expanded the preservation of another African American site, the Toussaint L’Overture Cemetery (called Toussaint L’Ouverture today). Named for a leader of the Haitian Revolution of 1791-1803, the four-acre cemetery was formally established in 1884 (during the Reconstruction era) near the Hard Bargain neighborhood. The property was originally owned by Eloise Winstead, whose husband’s family had been previously enslaved to the Winstead family of the Winstead Hill Property. The cemetery contains 158 marked graves dating back to 1869, as well as 250 unmarked graves. Recognized as Franklin’s oldest African American cemetery, the Toussaint L’Ouverture Cemetery is the final resting place for several notable African Americans, including A.N.C. Williams, Dr. C.C. Johnson, William M. Wilson, and fourteen members of the 92nd Colored Division, a segregated and highly decorated division of the U.S. Army during World War I. MORE STORIES WERE DOCUMENTED Other efforts to preserve African American stories in Franklin were led by prominent local historians who conducted substantial research and collected volumes of important data. These collections became published pieces placed in the Williamson County Library and the Williamson County Archives. In addition, many of these stories were published by the Williamson County Historical Society. HERITAGE TOURISM PILOT PROGRAM LAUNCHED In the early 1990s, Franklin participated in the nation’s first heritage tourism pilot program. Managed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, the three-year initiative focused on the Natchez Trace Parkway and communities – including Franklin – along the parkway to develop and implement heritage tourism plans. THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY ARCHIVES AND MUSEUM WAS CREATED The Williamson County Archives was established in 1993 by the Williamson County Commission in recognition of the need to preserve and showcase the community’s history. The Archives safeguards official county records and collections dating back to 1799 and features exhibits highlighting Native American heritage, Civil War artifacts, agricultural history, and notable local figures and events. In addition to serving as a steward of these historical resources, the Archives provides valuable opportunities for research, genealogy, and education. THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES LISTINGS WERE EXPANDED Finally, the 1990’s saw a purposeful effort by the Heritage Foundation, working with CHP at MTSU and other preservation partners, to expand significantly the listing of National Register properties and neighborhoods. 78 FRANKLIN, TN | PRESERVATION PLAN
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