Effort underway to save home formerly owned by Hank Williams

By Daniel Smithson

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    LEIPER’S FORK, Tennessee (WSMV) — An effort is underway to save a historic home near Franklin formerly owned by Hank Williams, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

The property, Beechwood Hall, is facing potential demolition by its new owners, according to an organized group of people hoping to save the property. However, the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County says that’s not the case, and it is doing all it can to preserve the property with its new owners.

Organizers of the Save Beechwood Hall movement claim the new owners purchased Beechwood Hall and 268 acres on June 30, 2021, and as a condition of the agreement, promised the seller and the community they would preserve and restore Beechwood Hall. They claim that’s not being done and the house is being demolished.

“We are asking the owners to permanently stop all demolition, make efforts to protect the property from further deterioration and commit to a preservation solution that preserves Historic Beechwood Hall for future generations,” the group said on its website. “We are also calling on state and county elected officials to pass laws that require a demolition permit and a 120-day waiting period for historic properties within Williamson County.”

The Heritage Foundation disputes these claims. The foundation says are no immediate plans for the demolition of Beechwood Hall.

“From the moment we learned of the challenges to Beechwood Hall, we immediately engaged its owners in an earnest and positive manner to explore various preservation options, which we have found, in our long history, is the best path to successful outcomes,” said Bari Beasley, President and CEO of the Heritage Foundation, in a statement. “The complete resources of our organization are being placed into delivering a comprehensive preservation plan. A commitment to historic preservation from downtown Franklin and throughout Williamson County is what makes our community special. It is the fundamental mission of our Foundation made possible by generous and caring members of our community. We’re thankful for the owners of Beechwood Hall allowing us to work with them.”

Organizers with the Save Historic Beechwood property movement say they have three goals:

• To support the community’s effort to stop the alleged demolition immediately and encourage its new owners to restore it properly or sell it to a preservation buyer that will.

• To consolidate a call to action to our political leaders for a change in the laws that would not allow these destructive behaviors.

• To provide a long-term platform for information and updates regarding this important part of American history.

Celebrities like Kid Rock have been outspoken about saving the property. The foundation said the home had many issues, like mold damage, before the new owners started its renovation. It emphasized to WSMV4 the home is being restored as carefully and thoughtfully as possible.

The Heritage Foundation and team of in-house preservationists are also working with external partners, such as the Tennessee Historical Commission, to ensure the best possible team for preservation planning.

“Preservation works best when people work together towards a common goal,” said Patrick McIntyre, Tennessee State Historic Preservation Officer and Executive Director of the Tennessee Historical Commission, in a statement. “Helping save Tennessee’s treasured historic places is at the core of our agency’s mission. Our office is proud to support the Heritage Foundation and its talented and committed staff in this important endeavor. They have shown incredible leadership in mobilizing quickly to potentially preserve Beechwood Hall. As the State Historic Preservation Office, we are committed to help this effort come to a successful resolution.”

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