Heritage Foundation of Williamson County announces collaboration with Vanderbilt University to support History and Culture Center
Vanderbilt University’s collaboration will solidify the History and Culture Center of Williamson County as the first permanent, interactive exhibition space dedicated to telling comprehensive countywide history
FRANKLIN, TENN. — The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County announced an exciting collaboration with Vanderbilt University to support the Heritage Foundation’s upcoming History and Culture Center of Williamson County.
“We could not have found a more perfect partner than Vanderbilt University to launch and advance the mission of the History and Culture Center of Williamson County,” said Bari Beasley, president and CEO of the Heritage Foundation. “Celebrating its 150th anniversary, Vanderbilt has long been a steward of education at all levels and community engagement, making an irrevocable positive impact on our region and beyond. Their commitment validates our vision for the center, and their partnership raises the profile of exhibits and programming we can offer to this region of Tennessee.”
As part of the collaboration with the History and Culture Center, Vanderbilt will play an active role in research and planning for exhibitions and public programming and will place a faculty member on the History and Culture Center’s advisory board, among other important opportunities.
“Vanderbilt University is proud to collaborate with the History and Culture Center of Williamson County,” said J. Nathan Green, vice chancellor for government and community relations. “We’re excited to take an active role in supporting the center’s mission to honor and share stories of the people and places that comprise the fabric of our community today. We look forward to working closely with the Heritage Foundation and the Williamson County community to enrich the understanding of our shared history, allowing us to further reveal our past and revel in our future.”
Housed within a 1905 National Register of Historic Places building at 108 Bridge St. in Franklin, the 6,000-square-foot History and Culture Center of Williamson County will serve as a gateway to Middle Tennessee’s historic people, places and stories that engage, inspire and impact our collective future.
Plans are underway for the History and Culture Center to open in the fourth quarter of 2023.
ABOUT VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
Vanderbilt University is a globally renowned research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Ranked No. 18 among national universities, Vanderbilt offers an immersive living-learning undergraduate experience, with programs in the liberal arts and sciences, engineering, music, education and human development. The university also is home to nationally and internationally recognized graduate schools of law, education, business, medicine, nursing and divinity, and offers robust graduate-degree programs across a range of academic disciplines. Vanderbilt is committed to inclusive excellence, drawing the world’s brightest students, faculty and distinguished visitors from across all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, and to providing a collaborative atmosphere of discovery that drives positive change in the world. Learn more at www.vanderbilt.edu.
ABOUT THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY
Since 1967, the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County has been dedicated to preserving Williamson County’s architectural, geographic and cultural heritage as well as promoting the ongoing revitalization of downtown Franklin in the context of historic preservation. Notable projects include The Franklin Theatre, Roper’s Knob, parts of the Franklin battlefield and the Old, Old Jail. Events and festivals produced by the Heritage Foundation such as Main Street Festival, the Heritage Ball, PumpkinFest and Dickens of a Christmas bring an estimated 300,000+ locals and visitors to downtown Franklin each year, creating more than $10 million in economic impact annually. The Heritage Foundation owns and operates The Franklin Theatre, Downtown Franklin Association, Franklin Grove Estate & Gardens and its newest historic adaptive reuse project, the History and Culture Center of Williamson County. For more information about the Heritage Foundation, visit www.williamsonheritage.org.
ABOUT THE HISTORY AND CULTURE CENTER OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY
The History and Culture Center of Williamson County is the first state-of-the-art, interactive exhibition space dedicated to telling Williamson County and Middle Tennessee’s comprehensive history. It will honor and share stories of the people, places and events that comprise the fabric of this region and influence our national story and culture. Housed within a National Register of Historic Places building dating to 1905, the center stewards, interprets and exhibits artifacts and immersive narratives related to the social, economic and cultural history of the area. The center is a division of the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County, Tennessee, and in order to sustain the center’s nonprofit operations, the 6,000-square-foot building is also available to rent for events. For more information, visit www.WilliamsonHistoryCenter.
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