THE HARD BARGAIN ASSOCIATION REHABILITATES AND SUPPORTS THE NEIGHBORHOOD The Hard Bargain Association (HBA) was formed in 2006 with the mission of preserving the Hard Bargain neighborhood, an African American community near downtown where formerly enslaved Harvey McLemore (c. 1829-1898) lived. The original 15 acres, which became known as Hard Bargain, was conveyed in 1873 by William Sugars (W.S.) McLemore, Harvey McLemore’s former enslaver. In 1880, Harvey McLemore purchased four adjacent lots. The neighborhood now contains 130 homes. THE MCLEMORE HOUSE MUSEUM OPENS The Harvey McLemore House was restored by the African American Heritage Society as a historic house museum. The museum opened in 2000. The CHP at MTSU developed exhibit panels for the museum in 2017 and a Collections Management Plan in 2021. The Collections Management Plan was a partnership between the TCWNHA, the African American Heritage Society of Williamson County, and the Battle of Franklin Trust. Preserving Franklin’s African American History THE NATCHEZ STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT REGIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT LISTING The Natchez Street neighborhood first gained public attention in 2002 when community leaders Pearl Bransford, Thelma Battle, and others leased the house at 239 Natchez Street, turning it into a community center and began encouraging residents to improve their properties. In 2003, the CHP at MTSU prepared an NRHP nomination for the Natchez Street Historic District. The Natchez Street Historic District was officially listed in the National Register in December 2003. The 25-acre district contains 102 resources, primarily dwellings and churches dating from the late nineteenth century. The district was listed for its association with the settlement and community development patterns of African Americans in the Williamson County area. The district reflects the period from Reconstruction through the Civil Rights movement and integration. THE GREEN BOOK HOUSE REDISCOVERY AND PRESERVATION Ruth Gaylor’s Green Book House at 253 Natchez Street is within the NRHP-listed Natchez Street Historic District. The site is recognized for its former owner Ruth Gaylor (1902–1982), who advertised her property as a tourist home in the Negro Motorist Green Book. Published from 1936–1967, the Green Book listed hotels, restaurants, and other businesses that welcomed African American travelers during the era of segregation. 89
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