We were lucky enough, recently, to make a sandblasted redwood post and panel welcome sign for Battle of Franklin Trust and the Carnton Plantation! We don't often get the chance to make redwood signs, so it was fun to do one for a local historical site that gets visited all year round. The Battle of Franklin Trust is a local historical preservation group here in Franklin, TN that helps preserve and teach the history of Civil War battlefields, specifically the Carnton Plantation and the Carter House. 

If you live in Tennessee or will be visiting, you should really check out the Carnton Plantation and take a tour!

Both of these buildings are located near each other and were part of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War—the Battle of Franklin. The Carnton Plantation was built in 1826 by one of the former mayors of Nashville, Randal McGavock. Anyone who has lived around Nashville probably recognizes the name McGavock because so many things around here are named after him! According to Battle of Franklin Trust's website, the battle occurred on November 30, 1864 when the Confederate Army of Tennessee attacked the Federal army that was camped on the edge of Franklin. The battle only lasted five hours but about 9,500 soldiers were either killed, wounded, captured, or counted missing, with around 7,000 of those soldiers coming from the Confederate side. The night of the battle, the plantation mansion and grounds were turned into a makeshift hospital for the thousands of wounded and dying soldiers. The McGavock family subsequently buried 1,500 soldiers in a cemetery they dedicated to the fallen soldiers using two acres of land next to their family cemetery. (Pretty grim stuff, but it's fascinating to visit the plantation and get a guided tour.) John and Carrie McGavock cared for the cemetery until they both died, and it is currently the largest privately owned military cemetery in the U.S. After the McGavock family sold the house in 1911, it fell into disrepair until 1977 when it was donated to the Carnton Association, Inc. The Battle of Franklin Trust has taken great care to restore and maintain the historic site for visitors, school groups, and even private events like weddings today! 

The sign stands right outside the visitor's center. The plantation gets lots of visitors all year, especially large tour groups from Tennessee schools.

The "Welcome" sign we made was modeled after its sister sign over at the Carter House. The blue color of the sign coordinates with some of the accent colors of the visitor's center, and we tried to match it with a shade of blue that would actually be used around in the 1800's. That took some research! The sandblasted wood sign was painted by spraying it with high quality outdoor enamel paint to prevent wear and damage to the paint over time. The wooden sign part was then attached to two blue posts with end caps that we painted to match the rest of the sign. 

We also made this aluminum sign for the Carter House earlier last year. The signs are supposed to complement each other while remaining unique.

We're glad that the Battle of Franklin Trust is around to help preserve such an interesting piece of Tennessee history! The community has really rallied to support its preservation. There was even a new paved road added that leads directly to the plantation's visitor center. Before, visitors had to come in through an adjacent neighborhood and turn onto a gravel road to get there. It's definitely worth it to get a guided tour through the plantation. You can even get a tour from Robert Hicks, long time Carnton Association board member and author of The Widow of the South, a novel that centers around the life of Carrie McGavock—the woman who lived in the plantation during the Battle of Franklin and buried 1,500 soldiers. So, fellow Nashvillians and Franklinites, go and give them a visit!

Interested in getting your own outdoor wooden signs? Contact us today by clicking the button below and get a free custom quote and consultation on your project!