The 2022 Preservation Award winners were announced Saturday, May 7th at the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County’s fifth annual Preservation Symposium at the Williamson County Enrichment Center.
For 46 years, as a part of its nonprofit mission, the Heritage Foundation has recognized preservation projects and individuals who made significant contributions within the field of historic preservation. The Preservation Awards recognize rehabilitation, restoration, preservation, and craftsmanship of residential and commercial structures that complement the historic character of Williamson County.
2022 Winners Include the Hard Bargain Neighborhood Association, the town of Thompson’s Station, McLemore House, as well as a residential and commercial recipient for Excellence in Preservation Through Rehabilitation. “Each year, we are proud to recognize individuals and organizations, who through their commitment, dedication, and hard work, complete projects that complement and contribute to historic preservation in our county,” said Rachael Finch, Senior Director of Preservation and Education.
Excellence in Infill in a Historic District: 502 11th Ave N., Hard Bargain Neighborhood Association
The Hard Bargain Association preserves the historic Hard Bargain neighborhood by renovating existing homes, building high quality affordable housing, and enriching the community spirit of the neighborhood. In 2020, the Association began the work infilling a vacant lot at 502 11th Ave North where one of the Polk Row homes once stood. Completed in 2022, the home is the same award-winning design featured in Southern Living magazine in 2015. Finished this month, the home is ready for occupancy.
Excellence in Heritage Preservation: Preservation Park Historical Panels, Town of Thompson’s Station
The town of Thompson’s Station’s preserves the natural beauty of the area with the 207-acre Preservation Park. Purchased in 2013 and placed in a conservation easement with the Land Trust for Tennessee and the Civil War Trust, it buffers development from the south and north while linking the regional trail and greenway system in the city. The park also preserves a portion of the battlefield for the March 5, 1863, engagement at Thompson’s Station during the Civil War. To tell that story as well as a broader story of the town—the people, places, events, and cultural history—Thompson’s Station’s Parks and Recreation Board partnered with the Civil War Trails, MTSU Center for Historic Preservation, and the Heritage Foundation to place a series of historic markers along the trail system in Preservation Park. The seven panels provide park patrons with an in-depth and grounded history of the surrounding landscape, people, and culture.
Excellence in Preservation Through Restoration: McLemore House, African American Heritage Society of Williamson County
The 1880 McLemore House, located in the historic African American neighborhood of Hard Bargain, opened in 2002. The home, owned and operated by the African American Heritage Society of Williamson County, tells the story of Harvey McLemore and his family’s journey from enslavement, Reconstruction, and their life in Franklin and the Hard Bargain neighborhood. While renovated in 2002, the home needed repairs and restoration by 2020. With a $56,000 grant from the Tennessee Historic Commision and additional $78,000 from community support, the Society was able to rebuild a period appropriate front porch, replace the aging roof, replace modern flooring with salvaged material from a circa 1880s home, make repairs to fireplaces and chimneys, and bring in period appropriate furniture to the home.
Excellence in Preservation Through Rehabilitation (Residential): Faup-Salazar Residence @ 1371 Columbia Avenue
In 2016, Dianne Faup-Salazar and Patrick Salazar purchased a late 1890s Folk Victorian gem at 1371 Columbia Ave. Between 2019 and 2021, the couple has researched and painstakingly rehabilitated the original home and added sympathetic additions to the rear. The original front porch, removed by a previous owner, was researched and recreated using details from an extant original side porch. Original windows were retained, and new windows were customized to match originals. Additionally, original wood siding was restored, lead paint abated, a new roof added, cut stone foundation made to looks seamless in the new addition, and exterior colors from the Benjamim Moore Historic Collection complement the original. The homeowners also refinished original doorknobs, sash locks, pocket door hardware, hinges, and window pulls. Research identified much of the hardware as manufactured by Mallory Wheeler & Co. of Connecticut. The Faup-Salazars said finding craftsmen and sourcing new and historic was a challenge during the pandemic but preserving a home in downtown Franklin was important to the family, which has multi-generational roots in the city.
Excellence in Preservation Through Rehabilitation (Commercial): LeHew Mansion / Franklin Innovation Center
The LeHew Mansion and Franklin Innovation Center is a partnership between Williamson, Inc. and the Heritage Foundation to turn the historic 1889 Haynes-Berry House at Franklin Grove Estate & Gardens into a co-working space designed to foster the area’s entrepreneurs. Designed by Nashville architect Hugh Cathcart Thompson, the Romanesque Revival and Queen Anne house still retains much of its historic integrity: original newel post, interior doors, transoms, windows, and Eastlake hardware. 906 Studio Architects’ plans prioritized preservation of the house’s historic integrity while making the building functional with private offices, a conference room, break room, an additional bathroom, and two private phone booths. To protect original material and create privacy some innovative solutions were found; for example, the original pocket doors connecting the parlors were encased in faux walls but can be easily removed in the future without damage. The new interior finishes were thoughtfully curated to create comfort and connection, combining late 1800’s design with present-day functionality. The Franklin Innovation center serves as a landmark where stories of the past instruct future design, and future design inspires imminent innovation.