1. Take a Tour at Lotz House
The Lotz House, built in the middle of the 19th century, is where the Battle of Franklin took place. More than a collection of beautiful furniture created by German woodworker and piano maker Johann Lotz, it’s a Civil War museum.
Tour the home to learn about the Lotz family who resided here. Tour the property to learn about the five-hour battle that engulfed Franklin on the last day of November 1864. It was one of the bloodiest of the war, with 10,000 soldiers killed or wounded.
Go on a tour, choosing from the Walking Battlefield Tour or the Lotz House Cellar Tour. Ghost tours are scheduled in the old mansion.
You can also combine a tour of Lotz House with another historic site such as Carnton Plantation and Carter House.
Address: 1111 Columbia Avenue, Franklin Tennessee
2. Tour Carnton, a Plantation Home from the Civil War
Carnton Plantation has had many incarnations since it was built in 1826. In its early days, the Carnton mansion was built by slaves, and the success of the farm was due to slave labor. During the Battle of Franklin (last day of November 1864), one of the bloodiest in the Civil War, mistress of the mansion Carrie McGavock transformed her home into the main field hospital for Confederate soldiers.
Take a deep dive into Civil War history by visiting the cellar of Carnton and viewing bloodstains on the porch. Pick from the following tours: Classic House, Battlefield, Behind the Scenes, and Slavery and the Enslaved. It takes one hour to tour the house and grounds. Visitors are encouraged to pause and be respectful, given that human beings were enslaved here.
Address: 1345 Eastern Flank Circle, Franklin, Tennessee
