Franklin Grove Estate and Gardens

10/02/2026

Why do we give? 🌿

For David Garrett and his wife, Vivian, supporting Franklin Grove is an investment in the community they love and the Williamson County they want their son and many future generations to experience.

Their commitment reflects something at the heart of Franklin Grove: preserving what makes this place special takes people who are willing to help carry that legacy forward with their gifts.

Kicking off our new series, Why We Give, hear from David about why he and Vivian have chosen to support Franklin Grove and why he hopes others will consider being part of its future, too. 🌳

For more information, please email [email protected] 🌱

VisitFranklin

09/28/2026

Thank you for everything you did for our Franklin community - rest in peace, Ed. 💗

A Message from the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County, TN President & CEO, Bari Beasley, on the Passing of Ed Silva:

Franklin lost one of its great ones today.

You'd know Ed Silva's voice anywhere. No amount of time in Tennessee ever softened that unmistakable Boston accent, and he never tried. A Boston College graduate, Ed served as a U.S. Navy officer aboard the USS Constellation in the Western Pacific and Vietnam, reaching the rank of lieutenant.

As a founding member of Hartzog & Silva, Ed practiced law for more than forty-five years from a historic building in the heart of downtown, becoming one of Tennessee's most respected family law attorneys and mediators. He wasn't born in Franklin, but few people have ever loved it more or given more to protect it.

His devotion to this community was recognized many times over. A founder of the Downtown Franklin Association. Two-time chair of the Heritage Foundation board of directors. Honorary chair of the 2025 Heritage Ball. Franklin's Citizen of the Year. Heritage Foundation Legacy Award recipient. Heritage Ball Patron Award honoree. Co-chair and lead donor of the Franklin Grove Estate and Gardens capital campaign. Tireless champion of historic preservation and the small businesses that give this town its heartbeat.

Ed had a rare gift for making longtime neighbors and newcomers feel like they belonged to the same place, because they do. Together with his wife Susu, he gave time, heart, and resources so that Franklin could keep its character while it grew into its future.

To Susu and the entire Silva family, our hearts are with you.

Ed chose Franklin. Lucky for all of us, Franklin chose him right back.

09/22/2026

Hear more from David Garrett, Chair of the Franklin Grove project, as he shares an update from the kickoff of our Franklin Grove Capital Campaign Committee led by generous community leaders and supporters Ed Silva and Sondra Morris. 🌿

As Chair of the committee, David is helping lead the fundraising effort behind Franklin Grove, bringing together community members who believe in the vision for this transformational project.

From giving their time and expertise to helping build support an
d secure the funds needed to bring Franklin Grove to life, the Capital Campaign Committee is an important part of moving this vision forward. ✨

We’re grateful for the people who continue to step up, get involved, and invest in the future of Franklin Grove and our community. If you want more information on how to get involved, please email [email protected] to connect with the team.

09/18/2026

Day dreaming of what’s to come at Franklin Grove… 🌿

Children catching falling leaves outside the future Robert N. Moore Jr. Museum of Art. Families settling into rocking chairs after an afternoon in the gardens. The restored Lee Buckner Schoolhouse continuing to tell stories that should never be forgotten.

These are more than daydreams. They’re glimpses of the memories we’re working to make possible at Franklin Grove. We’re working hard towards it every day. This will be for you, Williamson County, and for everyone who believes in the culture, history, and character this place represents. 🌳

09/17/2026

Hear from David Garrett as he shares why Franklin Grove represents such an important opportunity for our community and is so important as a division of our organization. 🌳

David has long understood the value of preserving the places that tell Franklin’s story, and the impact that can happen when a community comes together around a shared vision. As a former Board Chair of the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County, he also played an integral part in the restoration and opening of the Jewel of Main Street, the Franklin Theatre.

Now, David sees Franklin Grove as about more than preserving an important piece of our past. It’s about thoughtfully creating a place that will serve, inspire, and connect our community for generations to come.

Hear David’s perspective on the vision behind Franklin Grove and why this project matters and go to williamsonheritage.org to learn more about the organization’s many divisions and work across Williamson County.

09/09/2026

There’s a place for everyone in the future of Franklin Grove.

In the final part of our conversation with Heritage Foundation of Williamson County Board Chair Bo Segers, we’re talking about one of the most important pieces of bringing Franklin Grove to life: community involvement.

Supporting Franklin Grove can take many forms, from following along and sharing our story to giving your time, resources, or support as this historic property enters its next chapter. 🏛️
As Bo says, “Come be part of this.”

Every person who gets involved becomes part of the story we’re building here in Franklin. 💚

We invite you to email us at [email protected] for more info on how to get involved.

09/07/2026

What can Franklin Grove become for our community? ✨

In Part 2 of our conversation with Heritage Foundation of Williamson County Board Chair Bo Segers, Bo shares what excites him most about the future of Franklin Grove: the opportunity to take a historic property and give it new life as a place for learning, gathering, and connection.

It’s about preserving what makes this place special while creating something that can serve longtime residents, newcomers, and visitors for generations to come. 🏡

There’s much more ahead, and we’re excited about what Franklin Grove can become.

09/03/2026

Building a place for the community takes a community 🌿

Our Franklin Grove Capital Campaign Committee gathered for a Second Meeting recently, continuing the work of bringing this historic five-acre property into its next chapter.

As the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County’s single largest preservation project to date, Franklin Grove is being shaped not only by a vision for the land, its historic structures, gardens, and educational spaces, but by the people committed to seeing that vision through.

We’re grateful for this committee’s time, leadership, and belief in what Franklin Grove will mean for generations to come. 🤎

A place in the making, made possible by community. 🌱 If you’d like to know more about how to get involved, please email [email protected].

08/04/2026

Meet Bo Segers, Board Chair of the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County 💡

As Franklin Grove continues to take shape, strong leadership and a shared vision are helping guide every step of this exciting journey.

Bo is a passionate advocate of the Foundation’s work and the Franklin Grove project. He helps guide our work as we plan for a campus that will inspire connection, art, nature, education, and community here in our town.

You’ll continue to hear more from Bo as he shares his perspective on the vision for Franklin Grove, why this project matters, and what’s still to come.

Stay tuned!

07/31/2026

The Lee-Buckner Schoolhouse is key preservation project for the the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County. This is Part 2 of our Lee-Buckner restoration story.

When Franklin Grove opens, visitors will be able to step inside the restored schoolhouse to learn from the stories of its students and teachers.

Franklin and its visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the legacy of resilience and education that deserves, and that is our responsibility, to remember.