The Moore-Morris History and Cultural Center opens in downtown Franklin

The new addition is said by leaders to be Williamson County’s first interactive exhibition space dedicated to telling its comprehensive countywide history.

The exterior of the renovated McConnell House, which features red brick throughout and five windows on the second level. The entrance is covered by a flat awning held up by four brick pillars matching the building's facade. — The building is also available for private use like weddings or corporate events.

Downtown Franklin’s McConnell House, which dates back to 1905 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, reached a new milestone.

The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County opened The Moore-Morris History and Culture Center in the restored 6,000-sqft, three-story building on Tuesday, Feb. 6. Leaders recognize it as the county’s “first interactive exhibition space dedicated to telling Williamson County and Middle Tennessee’s comprehensive history.”

A small group of people gather in an area of the home as a digital living portrait tells a story behind a built-in wooden bar. — Look out for educational events like local and national speakers, workshops, field trips, and symposiums in the future.

Here’s a sneak peek at the initial exhibitions you can expect ahead of your tour:

The Emerging Commercial Union (1783–1865) | First Floor East Gallery

A series of layered maps and narrative detailing the transformation of Middle Tennessee’s landscapes by early white settlers

The Industrial Landscape (1866–1917) | Second Floor West Gallery

A look at accelerated industrialization connecting the region through new forms of transportation infrastructure following the Civil War, with an emphasis on Williamson County’s first railroad, the Tennessee and Alabama (Decatur) line

Managing Townscapes (1930s–1950s) | Second Floor North Gallery

Linked digital screens embedded into the bar top and living portraits dive into the rise and fall of local business following the second World War (think: The Franklin Theatre, Gray Drug, Southern Discount, and more), plus stories of prisoners from the Old, Old Jail next door

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