Community support to determine if Franklin earns a piece of $2 million in preservation funding
Franklin in the running for American Express grant to fund preservation efforts of the Dr. McPhail building
Downtown Franklin has been chosen as one of 25 main streets across the United States to participate in Partners in Preservation: Main Streets, a community-based partnership created by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express to raise awareness of the importance of preserving historic places and their role in sustaining local communities.
Partners in Preservation: Main Streets will award $2 million in grant funding from American Express to Main Street districts in need of preservation support across America. The public will determine which sites will receive funding by voting for their favorite main streets through October 31 at VoteYourMainStreet.org, the online voting portal hosted by National Geographic Travel.
From September 25 – October 31, the public is encouraged to vote up to five times per day for Franklin via VoteYourMainStreet.Org. Sites with the most votes at the end of the voting period will be awarded grants, until the full $2 million is distributed. As one of the 25 finalists for this funding, Franklin has chosen to highlight the rich history behind the Dr. McPhail building, located at 209 E. Main St. and currently home to Early’s Honey Stand. The Dr. McPhail building, built circa 1815, is one of the oldest structures in Downtown Franklin and once home to the Dr. Daniel McPhail medical practice, which was later taken over by Daniel McPhail’s nephew, Dr. Daniel Cliffe.
Voting is now open through October 31 via VoteYourMainStreet.org, the online portal hosted by National Geographic. The public is also invited to share their experiences and celebrate Downtown Franklin on social media using #VoteYourMainStreet. The DFA will be hosting an open house and program launch event on Friday, October 6 during the Franklin Art Scene festivities. Stay tuned for more details about the open house event, including a community paint-by-number piece of art. For more information about the Downtown Franklin Association, visit www.downtownfranklintn.com.
About Downtown Franklin Association
The Downtown Franklin Association, established in 1984, is a non-profit committed to historic preservation and community vibrancy. Since its founding, the DFA has helped spearhead the revitalization of Franklin’s historic downtown core. Working in partnership with the Heritage Foundation of Franklin & Williamson County, property owners, city and county government, local businesses and merchants in our historic retail district, the Downtown Franklin Association (DFA) has helped create one of the nation’s Main Street success stories. For more information, visit www.downtownfranklintn.com and www.historicfranklin.com.
About Partners in Preservation
Partners in preservation is a program in which American Express, in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, awards preservation grants to historic places across the county. Through this partnership, American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation seek to increase the public’s awareness of the importance of historic preservation in the United States and to preserve America’s historic and cultural places. The program also hopes to inspire long-term support from local citizens for the historic places at the heart of their communities.