Historic Downtown Franklin

A few miles east of Westhaven is the 15-block historic district of downtown Franklin, Tennessee. Renovated historic buildings and brick sidewalks line both sides of the classic, American Main Street (shown above) and today house a variety of boutiques (including a Chico's) and cafes (including Starbucks, of course). If you like antiques, Franklin has a lot of them, and has received the distinction of being named One of the Five Best Places in America to Antique Shop. Franklin has actually won a number of awards, including Clean Cities Award, Great American City Award, Tree City, USA Award, and Preserve America's Community Award.

Founded in 1799, Franklin was originally a wealthy, agricultural community and, actually, the center of the plantation economy of the area. The Civil War changed all that. Union Troops occupied Franklin for over three years, and most businesses died. The Battle of Franklin (more on that this week) turned most businesses and homes in the area into hospitals. It took over 100 years for Franklin to recover.

Today, Franklin is again a wealthy, thriving community. Developments chip away at the bucolic farmland on the outskirts of town bringing people - and economic growth - to the area. Money Magazine has named Franklin one of the Top Ten Places to Retire in the US, and one of the Top Ten Places to Live in the US.

For the next few days, we'll look at some of the attractions in this historic town.