Carter House News

[Coatsy]

Link: http://www.wsmv.com/story/17161258/c...ange-ownership

FRANKLIN, TN (WSMV) -
A favorite stop for Civil War buffs is at the center of a controversy.

A private organization is asking the state to turn over a parcel of land at the Carter House - land owned by the taxpayers - and some are questioning whether two of the board members of that organization with political connections are greasing the skids.

Some 10,000 American soldiers died in the bloody five-hour Battle of Franklin, which was centered, in part, at the Carter House. Carter House sits on land owned by the state of Tennessee.

Now a non-profit group, the Battle of Franklin Trust, is asking the state to give it the land next to the house museum where an old school gymnasium sits.

They want the land to eventually build a visitor center.

The chairman of the trust asking for that land, Marianne Schroer, is married to a member of the governor's cabinet.

Carter House board member James Turner is concerned that because of the board members' political connections, the state may not thoroughly vet the group and its request.

A second member of the governor's cabinet is also a board member of the Battle of Franklin Trust - Tourism Commissioner Susan Whitaker.

Several months ago, Marianne Schroer and Whitaker met with the governor to ask him to deed the land to their group.

Schroer was not available for comment. A spokesman for the Department of Transportation told Channel 4 that Commissioner John Schroer "did not help secure a meeting with the governor's staff," and said it is not unusual for the governor to meet with groups like this one.

The Chief Operating Officer of The Battle of Franklin Trust, Eric Jacobson, denied the group had any special access to the governor.

"No, I just don't think there's a conflict. Everyone we're dealing with, from the Battle of Franklin Trust, to the state, to the historic commission, to the governor, all are very professional people," Jacobson said.

Jacobson said the group wants the land so it can build a visitor center and museum, which he said will boost Franklin's standing as a Civil War destination site.

A spokesperson for the Tennessee Historical Commission said the commission voted in February to accept the concept, but said there are many more steps that would have to be taken before that could happen. Any land transfer would ultimately have to be approved by the legislature.

Copyright 2012 WSMV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.

[Rufus]

It sounds like a good idea, I just hope it’s still a good idea on paper and the deal doesn’t go awry. Any idea how much land they are actually asking be turned over to the park?

[coastaltrash]

It's not that the Battle of Franklin Trust is asking for the land to be turned over for no good reason. Why should an organization spend its time and resources raising money for a museum (that was supposed to have been nearing completion by now) if they don't actually OWN it. This whole thing boils down to some of the old guard at one site, not liking some of the stuff happening at the Carter House now. Eric hit the nail right on the head and further this stuff had been in the works long before Haslem even took office.

But to answer your question, they are asking that the ownership for the land that the gym is on, including the responsibility to build the museum, be turned over to a private organization that can actually DO something with it, rather than it be owned by the State, and continue to fall apart.

[john duffer]

It's the site where Opdycke halted (saving the center from breaking shortly thereafter) and deserves to be preserved. Once the Cotton Gin is rebuilt they'll have a pretty decent core battlefield park.