Tales from Tennessee and Beyond: Lotz House

The Lotz House was constructed in 1858 by German immigrants Johann Albert Lotz, and his wife Margaretha. The land that the house was built on was purchased from the Carter family. Johann was a master carpenter. Much of the house was built by him. The most notable feature that he constructed was the spiral staircase. He wanted his house to be a "show house," to demonstrate his work to potential clients. In addition to architectural work, Lotz also made pianos. When the Civil War broke out, the Lotz family's lives stayed pretty much unchanged until 1864. In 1864, the Battle of Franklin occurred. The Lotz house, as well as the nearby Carter and Carnton houses, were used as army headquarters during the battle. To protect their positions, Union Soldiers cut down many of the trees on the Lotz family's property, and also poisoned the water supply. The Lotz family took refuge in the Carter House, across the road. When the fighting ended, both families found bodies and other carnage everywhere. The south wall of the Lotz House had been completely blown off. Johann Lotz quickly repaired the home. Once repairs were complete, the Lotz House became a field hospital. Evidence still remains of the Lotz House's role in the Civil War. Inside the home, cannon ball holes, and blood stains are still visible. The Lotz Family continued to live in this house until Johann Lotz constructed a piano that featured a bald eagle holding an American and Confederate Flag. The controversy was with the fact that the bald eagle was holding the Confederate Flag pointing down. This upset many Confederate sympathizers. Many of these people threatened the lives of Johann Lotz and his family. As a result they were forced to flee to San Jose California. The Lotz house has since been purchased by the Battle of Franklin Trust, and is part of a network of three historic homes, associated with the battle, in Franklin, Tennessee. In 1976 the Lotz House was added to the National Register of Historic Places. At Moore Historical Consulting, I am committed to preserving our historic sites. For every Lotz House there are thousands more just like it that have not been preserved. Contact me today to learn more about the preservation services I offer.