Carter House / Carnton Plantation / Athanaeum Rectory

Carter House - July 26, 2008

I decided to head out this morning and pick up a few Tennessee Historical Commission stamps for my National Park Passport Stamps collection.  They were all close by in Franklin, Columbia, and Hohenwald, TN.  It rained overnight and as I headed south the clouds really started to build up in the southwest.  I decided the smart thing to do was to skip the Hohenwald stamp since that was the direction the heaviest cloud cover was located in.

My first stop was the Carter House in Franklin, TN (GPS coordiantes: N35.91741 W86.87319).  It is a "A non-profit museum and interpretive center for The Battle of Franklin" and is a beautiful example of antebellum architecture.  There were lots of Civil War relics inside but unfortunately photography inside the building was not allowed.

From the Carter House I headed to the Carnton Plantation (GPS coordinates: N35.90656 W86.86375), also in Franklin, TN.  I didn't get a stamp there, it has been misplaced, but I did take a photograph of the home.

Both the Carter House and the Carnton Plantation charge a fee to view the facility so I decided not to visit the sites any further.  It's understandable since they probably don't get much in the way of state funds, and I'd be willing to bet they get zero funds from the federal government.

I then headed a bit further south to Columbia, TN.  My first stop there was the ancestral home of President James K. Polk (GPS coordinates: N35.61500 W87.03720).  I did get my stamp at this site.  As with the previous two sites a fee was required to tour the facility so I decided to be on my way.

The next site was a long haul from the James K. Polk home, about 1/2 mile by GPS!  It is called The Athenaeum Rectory (GPS coordiantes: N35.61431 W87.04082).  It was a former Girl's School from 1852 to 1904.  It is a really interesting looking structure with very unique architecture.  They were preparing for their Bicentennial Celebration so I got my stamp and got out of their way.  Tony, thanks for the help finding the stamp!  I really appreciate it.