Big John Murphy
Article from The Tennessean… for the full article, please click here.
John Murphy’s life reads like a handbook on good citizenship.
He has served as a police officer and sheriff’s deputy, a high school teacher, a scout leader, a soldier in the Korean War and a lay minister in his church. He has volunteered countless hours helping his neighbors in one of Franklin’s poorest neighborhoods and is a board member for Hard Bargain Mt. Hope Redevelopment.
Murphy, 77, has done just about all anyone can do for his community.
Now the community is doing all it can for him.
Volunteers and donors from all walks of life in Williamson County are working to build a new home for “Big John” Murphy following a devastating fire in June. The early-morning blaze destroyed Murphy’s home on 9th Avenue North in the city’s Hard Bargain neighborhood. His insurance policy had lapsed following the company’s bankruptcy. Murphy was left with nothing but a charred pile of wood and stone.
“It’s been kind of stressful,” Murphy said of life since the fire. “I’m leaving it to the Lord, you know.”
Through donations of cash and services, Murphy should soon be back home. A groundbreaking ceremony was held this past weekend, and crews expect to begin in earnest within a few days.
Redevelopment group steps in
David Crane, president of Crane Builders, serves alongside Murphy as a board member for Hard Bargain Mt. Hope Redevelopment. Together, they’ve constructed four homes in the small, historic, predominantly black community and completed renovations on 20 properties. Crane’s company served as the lead contractor on each of the new homes and will rebuild Murphy’s.
“It’s the oldest African-American neighborhood in Williamson County, and it’s still the poorest neighborhood in Williamson County,” Crane said. “Most of the people that have lived there, their families have lived there for generations. For most of the families that live there, they can’t afford to live anywhere else in Williamson County.”
Murphy has lived in the Hard Bargain community since the 1950s and said he has no interest in putting roots down elsewhere. He has stood shoulder to shoulder with many of his neighbors to preserve their history in Franklin, as well as to guarantee they’ll have a future here. Through the redevelopment office, and with his skills as a second-generation mason, Murphy has tried to make it a better place to live.
“The only reason Hard Bargain still really exists is because people would feel too guilty coming in and bulldozing the oldest, poorest, African-American community in Middle Tennessee,” Crane said.
Response surprises merchant
Elaine Thompson has owned The Heirloom Shop in downtown Franklin for five years, and when she heard there was a fund-raising effort this summer to rebuild Murphy’s home, it was the first time she’d heard his name.
As part of a broader effort among merchants in July to raise money for area charities, Thompson pledged her percentage-of-sales donations to Murphy because he’s a respected member of the local community. The fundraiser was a one-night event, but Thompson was so blown away by the response that she extended her efforts through the entire month of July.
She was even more impressed that Murphy came by to express his gratitude and then grabbed a handful of business cards from the store to distribute to passersby… Click here to continue reading.
