25 Historic Preservation Plan Franklin’s Strategies for Historic Preservation Following are strategies, organized around the goals, for continued preservation of Franklin’s historic resources. These strategies should not be seen as actions to be undertaken solely by the City of Franklin, rather, they presume a community-wide response as appropriate Goal 1: Celebrate and Promote the Diverse History and Culture of Franklin Historic preservation is not simply about preserving old buildings. Historic preservation is also about identifying and celebrating a community’s history, which in turn provides greater understanding of a community’s past, as well as a context for making decisions about the future. Franklin’s historic resources are tangible reminders of a way of life that has shaped what the City is today. Bringing more attention to the history and culture of Franklin is an important step toward increasing awareness and appreciation for preserving its historic resources. Organize an Annual Franklin Heritage Festival An excellent way to celebrate and promote the unique history and culture of a place is to create an annual Heritage festival. In addition to giving residents and visitors of Franklin a fun-filled day of activities, a heritage festival provides an opportunity for community building. The Downtown Franklin Association, a division of the Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County, currently sponsors an annual Main Street festival. This festival could be enhanced to more directly reflect the history and heritage of Franklin while still achieving its goal of raising funds for continuing economic revitalization of the downtown. The Heritage Festival could include living history, arts and crafts, historic architecture, music, and food related to Franklin’s heritage. Actors portraying residents from the past can bring history to life. The historic architecture of Franklin can be highlighted through walking tours, games such as architectural bingo, lectures etc. At the King County, Washington Annual Heritage Festival one of the highlights is a genealogy search. Festival participants are assisted by the Seattle Genealogical Society to discover their heritage through the Internet and CD-roms. In addition to special appearances by descendents of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings the festival includes talks from genealogy experts throughout the festival. Strategies to Celebrate and Pr e and Promote the Div e the Diverse Hi se History and Culture of Franklin Organize an Annual Franklin Heritage Festival Publish a calendar of heritage events Document the History and Culture of Franklin: An Oral History Project Create a Community Heritage Center
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