Carnton, Carter House and Rippa Villa no longer host weddings, concerts or ghost tours. The Battle of Franklin Trust ended all social events at its historic sites, and CEO Eric Jacobson told Williamson Scene the decision came down to respect for the land.
"We just decided that we didn't want to do it anymore. … We try to treat all the sites with a 365-day-a-year degree of sanctity," Jacobson said.
The three Franklin-area properties sit on ground where 147 people were enslaved in 1860, according to the trust's website. The sites also witnessed the Battle of Franklin on Nov. 30, 1864, a five-hour fight that left some 9,500 soldiers killed, wounded, captured or missing.
Jacobson compared hosting parties on that ground to hosting them at the World Trade Center site in New York. The trust, a nonprofit, now operates on admissions, gift shop sales, memberships and donations. Its three properties draw roughly 200,000 visitors a year, according to the city's historic preservation plan, which covers 2000 through 2025.
The trust has also expanded its educational offerings. Carter House and Carnton each offer a 90-minute Slavery and the Enslaved Tour, priced at $29 per person, focusing on the institution of slavery and the specific people held in bondage at each site.
Not every historic site in the region has followed suit. Belle Meade Historic Site in Nashville hosts about 40 weddings a year, charging $8,000 to $12,000 per event, Williamson Scene reported. CEO Michael Hedges said events account for roughly 10 percent of Belle Meade's budget and called them necessary for the site's financial survival. Belle Meade schedules events after hours so guests do not interact with historic tours.
Travellers Rest Historic House Museum in Nashville takes a similar approach. Executive director Katie O'Bryan told Williamson Scene the site rents out for weddings, corporate retreats, graduation parties and other gatherings. Third-party rentals bring in 15 to 18 percent of the nonprofit's revenue, at $5,500 to $6,000 per 11-hour booking.
Andrew Jackson's Hermitage took a different turn. President and CEO Jason Zajac stopped all private events in 2024, telling Williamson Scene the site lacked the staff to do them well. Zajac drew a firm line on one point: former slave quarters and landscapes tied to enslaved people are never available for commercial activity.
The Hermitage is undergoing a $132 million overhaul. Zajac said new spaces from that renovation could eventually open for public events.
For Franklin residents, the trust's stance means Carnton, Carter House and Rippa Villa remain focused on education. Guided tours run daily at all three sites, with schedules and tickets at boft.org.
