Carter House farm office going through restoration – Nolensville … – Nolensville Home Page

Bullet holes are prominent in the farm office at Carter House as a reminder of the Nov. 30, 1864 Civil War battle at Franklin.

By CLIFF HIGHTOWER

The Carter House farm office is undergoing a major restoration and should be open to the public to see within just a few months.

Eric Jacobson, CEO of the Battle of Franklin Trust, said he anticipates the farmhouse will be available for public view by Nov. 30, the 153rd anniversary of the Battle of Franklin.

Theyve been working on it for two or three weeks now, he said.

The farm office has been empty and unused for years. But, Jacobson said the Battle of Franklin Trust was able to raise private donations to help restore it back close to its historic role in the Civil War.

When work first began months ago, the interior boards were carefully removed. The results were breathtaking to those who were priviliged to see the interior of the office. Sunlight poured through the hundreds of bullet holes left from the battle.

Jacobson said it is one of the most battle damaged properties the Trust has. He said the cost of restoration will be around $150,000 to $175,0000.

Thousands of men died on either side of this farm office on Nov. 30, 1864 and it is home to a pivotal battlefield of the Civil War.

On the anniversary of the battle in 2016, Jacobson and a core of volunteers remembered the soldiers that fought and died the day of the battle by calling out each of their names one by one in this hallowed ground.

Its all private donations, he said, that will save this place in history.

But visitors can see it wasnt just the soldiers that survived that day. The residents of Franklin had to pick up the pieces and go on. This farm office was part of the before and after of the Battle of Franklin.

The Carter family had to continue on despite the memories. It was the very basic human instinct to survive. This was a small group of people dealing with something completely out of their control and they tried to do their best with their situation.

This farm office was a part of the recovery, part of the normalcy of the life the Carters lived. The small building represents the battle because of the bullet holes you see but it also represents how the Carters continued on after the battle. They banded together as a family and as part of the community to go forward.

Jacobson said workers are busy putting in new timber and will make sure the base is structurally sound so that future visitors will be able to see the farm office during their visits.

He said plans are to make the farm office as original as possible. He said it is believed to have played a dual role during the era of the Civil War as a house and an office. But, he said that wont be the selling point.

I think the most important thing is opening up that door and seeing the sunlight come through those bullet holes, he said. Theres hundreds and hundreds of them.

Cliff Hightower can be reached at cliff.hightower@franklinhomepage.com or follow him on Twitter @FranklinHomePage.

More:
Carter House farm office going through restoration - Nolensville ... - Nolensville Home Page