FRANKLIN COUNTY

County Offices
1 South Jefferson Street
Winchester 931-967-2905
https://www.franklincotn.us/

Chamber of Commerce
44 Chamber Way
Winchester 931-967-6788
www.franklincountychamber.com

Franklin County has a population of 43,000, with Winchester as the county seat. Other incorporated cities include Cowan, Decherd and Estill Springs. Some of the primary employers in the area are Arnold Engineering and Development Center (Arnold AF Base), Nissan, agriculture and a number of other industries. The University of the South at Sewanee is located in the county.


Lifestyle
Winchester is the county seat of Franklin County, which was settled around 1800. The county is named in honor of Benjamin Franklin.  With a unique blend of Southern hospitality and big city sophistication Franklin County is a great place to live and work.

Recreational opportunities abound in this land-rich area. Golfers have the advantage of nearly year-round play on verdant and well-maintained courses. Tennis fans will find first-rate courts while organized sports are available for all age groups through local cities. Soccer, softball, baseball, and volleyball are just a few of the competitive sports that bring friends and neighbors together. Swimming, bicycling, hiking, picnicking, or just enjoying lush parks are all popular leisure activities.

Although the world-class attractions of Nashville are less than an hour from home, the county has developed cultural amenities and special events with musical concerts, performing arts, county festivals and galleries. Antique districts blend with malls and shopping plazas throughout the county for an abundance of retail options.  The good life in Franklin County blends easy access to metropolitan amenities with homespun delights and local attractions. Recreational facilities and opportunities include lush regional parks, golf courses, swimming pools, a country club, a skating rink, ball fields, tennis courts, soccer fields and recreational fishing. Regional parks invite every imaginable outdoor adventure. The Winchester Recreational Park also plays host to numerous events that attract participants and visitors from across the United States. The park is host to the annual Kansas City Bar-B-Q cook off, a 4th of July fireworks event and numerous fishing tournaments that attract thousands of participants. This park also offers walking/jogging trails, tennis courts, outdoor and indoor public pavilions, boat launch ramp to Tims Ford Lake, two handicapped accessible fishing piers, children’s playgrounds, Frisbee golf and camping facilities.

The lack of traffic and urban bustle, the friendly people, and a slower living pace combine with low property taxes and high property values for a superb quality of life. Historic sites, museums, restaurants, and libraries add to the quality of life.

Services
Considerable industrial growth occurred in the county in the last decades, including the construction of a large automobile engine plant by the Nissan Corporation, in Decherd. An emphasis on tourism also developed, based on Civil War history and local scenic attractions such as the dogwood forests, for which an annual festival is held.

Franklin County affords outstanding educational opportunities at all levels. Public and private schools offer strong college preparatory, vocational and technical programs. A variety of higher education opportunities are available within driving distance of Winchester; these include one of the leading academic institutions of the South, a regional university, an advanced research institution offering graduate programs, a community college, and two area vocational technical schools. Franklin County Schools offer a variety of enrichment programs which take students beyond the normal curriculum. Academic enrichment in music, drama and art broaden the cultural awareness of local students and community. Accredited private schools that offer classes in kindergarten through grade twelve are also available. There is close coordination between the public and private schools.

For higher education, The University of the South, popularly known as Sewanee, is located on a 10,000-acre campus atop Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau between Chattanooga and Nashville. Founded by leaders of the Episcopal Church in 1857, Sewanee continues to be owned by 28 Episcopal dioceses in 12 states and is committed to an academic curriculum which focuses on the liberal arts as the most valuable form of undergraduate education. The University consists of a College of Arts and Sciences which offers 31 majors for approximately 1,300 undergraduate men and women and a School of Theology which includes about 80 graduate students pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees. Also located in Franklin County is a graduate school for scientists and engineers. A part of UT, the Space Institute has evolved into an internationally recognized graduate study and research development center. The Institute’s professional and technical personnel and its advanced research and development facilities, including an industrial research park adjacent to the campus, provides the technical resources and capabilities necessary to develop and support high technology industries.

Cowan City
Town Hall
931-967-731
http://www.visitcowan.com/index.html

Chamber of Commerce

931-967-6788

Cowan is a small town that is home to more than 2,000 residents. The town is known locally for fine dining, specialty shopping, cultural events and fine arts. This region of Tennessee has some of the South’s finest and most famous attractions, from Chattanooga Choo-Choo to Jack Daniel’s Distillery; from the Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration to the Sewanee Summer Music Festival. Cowan has a revitalized and growing historic downtown where the retail, dining and community services can be found. The community takes great pride in its historic preservation efforts giving new life to old buildings, with several listed in the national historic register including; The Cowan Depot which is home to the Cowan Railroad Museum, the Cumberland Mountain Tunnel, the old railroad hotel, built in 1886 and even an historic bank building which is now City Hall. Locals can enjoy fine arts and theater closer to home at the Cowan Center for the Arts, featuring music recitals, theatre productions, art classes, and educational lectures. There are also several annual events to entertain the entire family and to showcase the small town charm of the community. Those festivals include the Annual Polly Crockett festival on the third weekend in September, the International Dogwood Festival in Winchester and the Sewanee Summer Music Festival at The University of the South. Outdoor enthusiasts will find thousands of square miles of unspoiled wilderness, thousands of acres of productive farm and ranch land, plus dozens of lakes, streams, and wetlands.

Education is important in the county which is home to an excellent public school system for grades K-12. There are also several private school options in the areas including the School of the Good Shepherd (K-5) and St. Andrew’s-Sewanee (6-12). Higher educational options include Motlow College and the undergraduate program at The University of the South in Sewanee. Cowan is only an hour’s drive from Chattanooga State, the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, and Middle Tennessee State University. Classes and lectures are also offered year-round at Cowan Center for the Arts.

Cowan offers it residents a high quality of life that gives them the benefit of being in a small town with excellent services close to home.

Decherd City
Town Hall
931-967-5181
https://www.decherd.net/

Chamber of Commerce
931-967-6788

Decherd was founded in the mid 1800’s. Decherd owes its beginning to the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad which was completed in 1851 through what was to become the town of Decherd. The town has a population of just over 2200 residents. It is home to a large engine and drive train assembly plant owned by Nissan that employs 850 people from the local area. While primarily a rural area, Decherd offers its residents a small town lifestyle that is enhanced by a large amount of recreational opportunities – particularly those that involve one of the many lakes or rivers in the region. Hiking biking and other active outdoor adventures are also close to home. And with its close proximity to Winchester, residents have everything they need close to home.

Estill Springs
Town Hall
931-649-5188

Chamber of Commerce
931-967-6788

Estill Springs is a quiet community of a little more than 2200 residents. It is the fourth largest town in the county, and is usually referred to as simply “Estill” by its inhabitants. It is located midway between Tullahoma to the North and Winchester to the south enjoying the benefits of a short drive from the commercial and educational advantages of those cities. Historic Estill Springs offers a quaint and friendly atmosphere where residents and visitors can search for fine antiques and enjoy country dining. The community atmosphere is so charming and relaxing the visitors might not want to leave. Residents enjoy living in a town where shopkeepers know customers by name and neighbors stop to talk or share a cool drink on large front porches. Easy access to important conveniences and amenities like fine shopping plazas, cultural activities, and outstanding opportunities for recreational activities and outdoor adventures ensure an exceptional quality of life. Residents have access to good schools, an active chamber of commerce that supports and hosts many events, and a responsive county government.

Huntland
Town Hall
931-469-0283

Chamber of Commerce
931-967-6788

The town of Huntland is a beautiful small town in located in the southwest part of Franklin County. It is home to a little more than 1,200 residents. It is located 12 miles south of Winchester, the county seat; 22 miles west of Fayetteville, the Lincoln county seat; 35 miles north of Huntsville, Alabama; and 100 miles south of Nashville, Tennessee’s state capitol. Residents of this small and scenic town enjoy a quiet lifestyle without the hustle and bustle of larger communities. Natural beauty surrounds the town with mountains and rolling farmland. Residents have a host of outdoor activities available to them in nearby forests and lakes. The town is home to a small business sector in the downtown area plus there are several manufacturing businesses located in the town’s industrial area. There is also a medical and dental clinic in the community.  Huntland is also home to Huntland Elementary and High school which educate students in the K-12 grades.

With its close proximity to the amenities of larger towns and cities, and its quiet lifestyle, Huntland is a great place to enjoy small town living and to raise a family.

Winchester
Town Hall
931-967-2532
https://www.winchester-tn.com/

Chamber of Commerce
931-967-6788

Winchester has a population of approximately 7,500 residents and is the county seat of Franklin County. The city was settled in 1812 and is named after General James Winchester, a veteran of the Revolutionary War. Known for its southern friendliness and hospitality and surrounded by mountains, lakes and rolling farmland, Winchester has a natural beauty and feeling of community that makes local residents proud. Winchester is located about 90 minutes southeast of Nashville, 60 minutes northwest of Chattanooga, and 45 minutes away from Huntsville, Alabama. Still primarily a rural area, residents can enjoy a wide array of outdoor activities – many centered around Tim Ford Lake which provides plenty of opportunity to enjoy fishing, swimming and boating, and the woods offer many hiking opportunities. It extends 34 miles upstream to the northeast from Tim’s Ford Dam. Tim’s Ford’s sprawling arms of water are popular with canoeists, kayakers, and anglers. Tim’s Ford State Park, located on the Tim’s Ford Reservoir is an outstanding recreational area and fishing paradise. The City of Winchester offers and maintains three separate recreational areas and boasts of one being a 100-acre recreational park bounded on three sides by beautiful Tim’s Ford Lake. This park, which includes an indoor/outdoor swimplex, a one million dollar minor league baseball facility, Babe Ruth baseball facilities, little league practice fields, and numerous softball fields, is open for use to all residents to Winchester and Franklin County. Historic downtown Winchester swirls around the impressive Franklin County courthouse, built in the Art Deco style of the early 1900’s. The square features broad sidewalks, quaint shops and restaurants and regular community events like concerts and wine tastings, it is the center of activity in the community. This area offers residents that traditional small town feel with the look to back it up.

Winchester offers a unique blend of the old and new with an active population who take pride in their historic community.

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