Harrison House

The William Harrison House located in southern Franklin, Tennessee, was built in 1848. William Harrison and his family settled in Williamson County after leaving Virginia. Harrison served as the sheriff of Williamson County from 1836-1842. The house replaced a structure that had been built on the property around 1810. This structure and the newer structure have been able to coexist, as the older one now serves as additional living space at the rear of its newer counterpart. Both structures are sheathed in brick, with the older one being built in the Federal architectural style and the new one built in the Colonial Revival style, with a Greek Revival style full height entry portico. Inside the house features include an open air, central hall floor plan with a total of ten rooms. While carrying out a renovation, a secret room in the upstairs portion of the house was discovered. The room was unfinished and no one knows its purpose. Like so many historic houses in Franklin, the Harrison House witnessed combat during the Civil War. Due to the house's location between the cities of Franklin and Spring Hill, the Harrison House was often used as a headquarters by both sides. In 1864 a small skirmish occurred at Perry's Station. The wounded were taken to the Harrison House, due to its close proximity to the skirmish site. Among the wounded was General John Herbert Kelly. Kelly was the youngest Brigadier-General in the Confederate Army. Kelly was tended to inside the Harrison House for two days before succumbing to his injuries. He was buried in the front yard of the house, but was exhumed a few years later and moved to a cemetery. Later in 1864, General John Bell Hood used the Harrison House as his headquarters during the Battle of Franklin. After surveying the city from the top of Winstead Hill, Hood gave the order to attack Franklin from the front parlor of the Harrison House. Following the war, the house was owned by several members of the William Harrison family, until eventually being sold. In 1975, the Harrison House was listed in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A and C for its significance in history and architecture respectively. Today the house remains privately owned. The Harrison House is yet another key component of the City of Franklin's history and their great efforts in the field of historic preservation.

At Moore Historical Consulting my #1 priority is historic preservation. Do you own a historic home, commercial building, or farm? If so contact me today to learn more about the historic preservation strategies I offer. These include nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, nominations for a Permanent Conservation Easement, nominations to the Century Farms program, and writing text for historic makers. At Moore Historical Consulting I make exploring and preserving your past fun and easy.