Harlinsdale Farm has been called the most significant historic farm associated with the modern Tennessee Walking Horse industry. Now known as The Park at Harlinsdale Farm, much has changed but some remains the same. As people pass the property, the beautiful Main Barn stands out to many, but just off to the left of the Main Barn sits the modest Hayes House. The Hayes House was the historic Victorian farmhouse that long served as the anchor home for the Harlin family at Harlinsdale Farm.

 

“When W.W. Harlin Sr. arrived in Nashville in 1909, the last thing on his mind was leaving a legacy in the horse business. Born in 1886 as the youngest of four children, Wirt Harlin had left his native Gamaliel, Kentucky, seeking to improve his prospects. His father was known to raise only quality livestock, including some of the finest saddle horses in the area. But, as a young man, Harlin quickly concluded that his future would not be found by tilling the soils of Monroe County, Kentucky, so he headed to Nashville,” writes James Harlin Hayes, son of Harlin Hayes.

 

“It was 1932 when Wirt began seriously looking at land near Franklin.” Then, “sometime in the early thirties, Harlin purchased a large tract and a dilapidated old house one mile north of Franklin. The house is now known as Jasmine Grove and sits at the head of Winslow Drive (formally known as Miles Manor). The farm property had fallen into receivership, and through the purchase, the nucleus of Harlinsdale Farm was formed,” said James Harlin Hayes. 

 

Wirt’s first step in fulfilling his promise was to resurrect the old house and make it livable. Unfortunately, the building had fallen terribly, and pigeons roosted in the structure. Wirt realized he would need trusted help to put his plan together, so he convinced his young nephew, Harlin Hayes, to move from Gamaliel to Franklin to take over operations as farm manager. So, in the mid-1930s, Harlin Hayes and his family joined the farm, and lived in what is now known as the “Hayes House.” 

The family lived in the house until Harlin Hayes died in the 1980s. After the Hayes family moved out, the house served as a painting studio for the Harlin family. Once the Harlin family sold the property to the city for park land in 2005, the house sat vacant. In 2004, James H. Hayes completed a thirty-seven-page document telling the story of Harlinsdale’s history based on his own memories, his relatives and those who did business with the farm. 

“I am the son of long-time Harlinsdale manager, Harlin Hayes. Born on the farm in 1940, I grew up on Harlinsdale and was immersed in the walking horse world from an early age. I always had a great interest in Harlinsdale and the role it and Midnight Sun played in the walking horse industry. Over the years, I interviewed many well known horsemen about their relationships with Harlinsdale. In addition, I spent many hours interviewing W.W Harlin Sr. and Harlin Hayes about the earliest days of Harlinsdale. Through those interviews and conversations with Bill Harlin, I have been able to fill in the blanks where my memories were unclear. After the death of Harlin Hayes in 1980 and
W. W. Harlin Sr. shortly after, many urged me to write a history based on my own memories as well as those of my kinsmen and those who did business over the years with Harlinsdale. This history is the result of those requests.”

 

From the 1940s until the early 2000s, the farm served mainly as a breeding operation run by the Harlin Family. In 2007, the City of Franklin opened the 200-acre Harlinsdale Farm as a passive park for the community’s enjoyment. Today, Friends of Franklin Parks has committed to raising $750,000 by working with the City of Franklin on the complete restoration of this historic treasure. Once restored, the Hayes House and event lawn will offer rental space for weddings, arts festivals, non-profit fundraisers, corporate events, and more, and provide the platform and space for educational opportunities about Harlinsdale Farm, agriculture and equestrian history. Learn more at friendsoffranklinparks.org.