Hugh Cathcart was an elder at Nashville’s much larger Edgefield Cumberland Presbyterian Church (another structure he designed), so this architectural job in Franklin was likely near and dear to his heart. The tiny congregation of Franklin Cumberland Presbyterian Church had been worshiping at temporary locations around town, and the seventeen or eighteen members were more than ready to have a place of their own. Cathcart made sure to deliver–and then some.

 

When the project began in early 1876, Cathcart had been an architect for less than a year, having previously made a name for himself as one of the most highly regarded finish carpenters in Nashville. Perhaps this explains his impeccable attention to detail as an architect. The resulting Gothic Revival brick church was small but elegant with a coved ceiling and exposed rafters in the sanctuary, arched windows, and a square bell tower, all of which would become signatures of Cathcart’s designs. In September 1876, a finishing touch was added to the top of the tower–a steeple that the Daily American described as “one of the most graceful fingers imaginable.” (In the early 20^th century, a tornado blew down the original steeple, and a replacement was added in 2006.) As clearly evidenced by the Ryman, Cathcart also had a knack for designing spaces with excellent acoustics. Above the sanctuary of the Franklin Cumberland Presbyterian Church, he created a soaring, curved ceiling that allowed the songs of worshipers to disperse and resonate without much distortion. Not only that, Cathcart incorporated materials that would reflect sound and enhance its clarity, such as the oak wainscoting and pews that remain in the church today.