Doors open at 8:30AM. Program begins at 9:00AM.

The Role of Preservation in a Thriving Community

The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County’s 8th Annual Preservation Symposium, presented by Renewal by Andersen, brings together nationally recognized experts and local leaders to explore the vital intersection of historic stewardship and community success.

Designed for citizens, preservation advocates, historians, business leaders, and elected officials alike, this one-day event goes deep on the “business and heart” of preservation — examining how protecting our historic assets drives economic vitality, sustainable growth, and a distinctive local identity that can’t be replicated.

KEYNOTE:

Tripp Muldrow, Partner at Arnett Muldrow & Associates (Greenville, SC), is one of the country’s leading voices on the economics of place. His keynote will make the case for why historic character is one of a community’s most powerful — and underestimated — economic assets, followed by open Q&A.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:

• A statewide perspective on preservation in Tennessee: Leaders from Knox Heritage, Preserve Chattanooga, Preserve Nashville, Memphis Heritage, and the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County share what’s working — and what’s at risk — across the state.
• Local flavor: cemeteries, stone walls, old homes & new developments: Specialists in cemetery preservation, dry stone masonry, historic architecture, and African American heritage dig into the on-the-ground realities of preserving Williamson County’s character.
• Where culture meets capital: the business case for preservation: Leaders from the Williamson County Chamber of Commerce, Visit Franklin, Kimley-Horn, The Factory at Franklin, and the Jefferson Street Historical Society make the economic argument for why preservation isn’t just good history — it’s good business.