St.Paul's leader should find a way to preserve history while promoting growth | Opinion

Churches seem to be in the news a lot lately, numerous denominations struggling with internal issues that spill out of church doors and into the community. I never thought I would be called to bring attention to what is happening inside my beloved church, St. Paul’s in Franklin.

It isn’t easy to speak up and stand up against a church. After all, they are supposed to be doing the Lord’s work.

The city of Franklin is famous for its fascinating history. The heart of Franklin is known as the “Great American Main Street”− a 15-block stretch of historic buildings dating back to before the Civil War.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church was founded in 1827 and is located at 510 West Main Street. It's the mother Church−the oldest church− in the diocese of Tennessee. The church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and in 1982 it was included in the Hincheyville Historic District National Register listing.

When my family moved here in 1984, we fell in love with St. Paul’s; its history, architecture and the beautiful Tiffany windows under the shade of a century-old pecan tree. This sacred space is for all to share because the church doors are always open providing sanctuary for prayers, serenity and peace.

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St.Paul's new development plans will disturb it's historic preservation

However, the serenity abounding in this sacred church will soon be shattered by the development plans the rector is pushing from his bully pulpit. Unbeknownst to the congregation, in January 2020, at the State Review Board for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 held at the Tennessee Historical Commission offices, the rector and his supporters requested that St. Paul’s be removed from the Historic Hincheyville District National Register listing.

When it was explained to him that National Register listings are honorary and have no control over construction, he allowed the church to stay on that listing. However, he did learn that the city of Franklin’s Historic Preservation Overlay would have provided historic preservation oversight over his plans to demolish the hallway of offices, classrooms, kitchen and bathrooms and build a new two-story structure on the historic footprint of the church assuring the death of the century old pecan tree.

So, he didn't allow St. Paul’s the protection of this extremely important preservation tool.

Years ago, visionary leaders of the church purchased the first Tennessee bank building and lot behind the church for future expansion. They understood, respected and protected the intrinsic and cultural significance of St. Paul’s historic footprint in Franklin.

Many of us care about trees, especially as global warming is becoming more of a reality. The Episcopal Church defines it as a crisis consisting of severe problems that arise as human activity increases the level of carbon dioxide and other heat trapping gases in the atmosphere.

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Trees sequester carbon, reduce energy usage, remove air pollutants, filter storm water and cool hot city streets by providing shade and releasing water vapor. The intense, devastating construction pressures will inevitably kill the historic pecan tree's roots.

The rector told one parishioner that he will not let a tree get in his way.

I've already been chastised for taking this issue to the public pulpit. Whatever St. Paul’s does to itself affects the historic city of Franklin.

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St. Paul’s preaches about its outreach to the community, yet these crushing changes to the historic footprint of the church will ultimately be cause for its removal from the National Register and the death of an environmentally important tree.

If the leaders at St. Paul’s honestly cared about the community and its adjacent neighbors, they would choose a kinder, gentler development plan which would protect and preserve the church’s storied history while accommodating, quite successfully, future growth.

Laura Turner is an advocate and educator. She is a member of Citizens for Old Natchez Trace and she resides in Franklin, Tennessee. Laura can be reached at lturner@oldnatcheztrace.org.  

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Preserve St. Paul's history and promote future growth in Franklin