Carnton

Built in 1826 by former Nashville mayor Randal McGavock, Carnton holds a profound place in Franklin’s history. Once a prominent Williamson County farm, it became forever linked to the Civil War after the Battle of Franklin raged in its fields on November 30, 1864. Carnton served as the largest field hospital, where hundreds of Confederate soldiers were treated, and the bodies of four Confederate generals were laid on its back porch. The McGavock family later established a Confederate cemetery, now the final resting place for the nearly 1,500 soldiers who died. Today, Carnton's bloodstained floors and historical artifacts echo stories of a family, a war, and a community transformed. Visitors can tour the house, cemetery, and battlefield, gaining a poignant glimpse into the past.