Volunteer

For more than 50 years, the Heritage Foundation been an integral part of the fabric of Williamson County. Saving places that matter such as the Franklin Theatre, the Old Old Jail (now the Lehew Magid Big House for Historic Preservation), or most recently, the O’More School of Design now called Franklin Grove Estate & Gardens.

We are known for our amazing events; Main Street Festival, the Heritage Ball, Pumpkinfest and Dickens of a Christmas, but none of these would be as wonderful as they are without the thousands of hours given by volunteers.

Whether it’s volunteering in preservation project, working in our offices, or at one of our festivals, Heritage Foundation volunteers are an integral part of who we are.

We are looking for people who can help on any level. Some of our opportunities are:

Brand Ambassador Volunteers – People who willing to learn more about who we are and what we do so they can share with others when they are at one of our events or in the community. This involves a in-house training that will give them the skills and knowledge to share our mission.

Festival/Heritage Ball Volunteers – people that have a few hours to spare and want to volunteer at a festival. They understand our mission and love to participate in our events.

Preservation Volunteers – People with a strong passion for preservation and history. Those who want to be more involved in saving the places that matter.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer please reach out to Heather Kantor, Volunteer Manager – hkantor@williamsonheritage.org for an application and more information.

“LIFE’S MOST PERSISTENT AND URGENT QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR OTHERS?” – MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Thanks to many who laid the groundwork for the Heritage Foundation 50 years ago, Franklin stands out as one of the nation’s top communities today by several measures. It has been a living laboratory for decades proving a preservation ethic makes sense economically. The accomplishments include a thriving downtown, beautifully preserved landscapes, enhanced quality of the more recently built environment, and lots of great stories. There used to be significant conflict between pro-growth versus pro-preservation, but I think the Heritage Foundation finally helped to bridge that gap. There’s a lot of new mixed in with the old, and most of it gets along together just fine. It’s a never-ending process, and not perfect, but the hard work paid off.

NANCY WILLIAMS

One of the greatest tourism draws to Williamson County is the Great American Main Street that runs through the heart of Franklin. Without the Heritage Foundation’s early vision to preserve the multitude of historical gems lining Main Street, the lure for visitors to our area would be a fraction of what it is now. The Heritage Foundation’s commitment to preserving Main Street and the historic homes and buildings across Williamson County allow visitors to get a true glimpse of how we’ve preserved and embraced our past while advancing into the future.

ELLIE WESTMAN CHIN

Franklin and Williamson County enjoy a quality of life grounded in the commitment to protecting the places that make this area unique. But this nationally renowned historic preservation success story did not happen by chance. 50 years ago the Heritage Foundation was established by farsighted citizens who recognized the inherent value of their community. A half-century later, this outstanding organization continues to lead by taking an active role to ensure that treasured landmarks, neighborhoods, and landscapes are saved for the enrichment of present and future generations.

E. PATRICK MCINTYRE, JR.

The impact of The Heritage Foundation over the past 50 years permanently changed our community for the better. Initially, its motivation was to preserve our historic buildings and landmarks, but over time, its efforts preserved the sense of place all of us enjoy today. The Heritage Foundation led the way in developing a civic culture that places a very high value on historic preservation. Our children and grandchildren will be the beneficiaries of this work.

JULIAN BIBB

Historic preservation IS economic development, and no one preserves our history and serves as the caretaker of our unique character like the Heritage Foundation. Access to talent drives economic development decisions, and talent is attracted to Williamson County because of the great work of the Heritage Foundation and their commitment to preserving our historic sites and buildings. Along with our great schools, I credit the Heritage Foundation as one of the primary reasons for our recent economic prosperity.

MATT LARGEN

The Heritage Foundation makes an invaluable contribution to life and community in Williamson County through its determined commitment to protect the best of the past as a foundation for the future. Through its many partnerships it also has contributed mightily to economic growth and opportunity by supporting scores of adaptive reuse projects, finding new lives for properties across the county, and through heritage and cultural tourism.

CARROLL VAN WEST, PHD