Pam Lewis Brings Benjamin Franklin: America’s First Rockstar — to Franklin

What happens when our local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution decides we need to make sure Franklin celebrates big during America’s 250th year — and a local philanthropist and preservationist come together? Well, you finally recognize not just a founding father of our country but the namesake of our amazing town. If you didn’t get the memo — Franklin, Tennessee, is named for probably one of the most renowned founding fathers of our country — Benjamin Franklin. And yet… nary a recognition of that fact exists here. Well… no more! Thanks to the DAR spurring efforts and Pam Lewis getting involved and gifting our city with our very own “Ben on the Bench,” this obvious oversight in celebrating our history has finally been rectified.

It truly isn’t often that a project once envisioned as a long-term fundraising endeavor to make it even happen became as simple and easy as flying a kite, thanks to local benefactress Pam Lewis. Pam is living proof that one well-stewarded life can change the story of a city. Much like Mr. Franklin’s did.

Born in New York and seasoned in the worlds of media and music (from pioneering days at MTV and RCA to launching her own firm, PLA Media), she became an “artist whisperer” who helped shape the careers of Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, and other defining voices of country music. Drawn to Tennessee, she eventually rooted herself at Harrison House, the sixty-eight-acre Greek Revival homestead in Franklin, whose layered Revolutionary and Civil War history became the anchor for her preservation work and civic vision.

On Music Row, she quietly saved creative space by purchasing and restoring endangered buildings. In Franklin, she did the same for memory itself, reframing the city’s identity around its Revolutionary namesakes, Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Hugh Williamson. Her public service as alderman-at-large, vice mayor, and board member for numerous civic and cultural organizations helped reclaim battlefields, preserve farms and parks, and secure protections for trees, architecture, and public history.

Recognized with honors from Belmont University, the Royal Society of Arts, and international faith and unity organizations, she has consistently bridged culture, civics, and community. Her crowning achievement may be Franklin’s quiet “rebrand”: championing its Revolutionary roots and purchasing the seated Benjamin Franklin statue that now greets visitors at the county archives as a symbol of unity, wit, and forward-looking heritage.

A self-described “damn Yankee” who fell in love with Tennessee and stayed to do the work, Pamela Lewis has not only preserved Franklin’s past — she has repersonalized it, reminding the city who it was first and welcoming the next generation into that ongoing story.

When she learned of the DAR project, which she herself recognized as most profoundly needed to continue the preservation of our local history, Pam was able to locate an already constructed statue by sculptor George Lundeen. She set about seeing the statue — seemingly perfect for the “Ben on the Bench” concept — and, working with the DAR and the City and County, was able to facilitate the placement on the grounds of the Williamson County Archives. Along with the DAR’s work on a Benjamin Franklin display inside the archives that can be visited through our 250th year this year, Pam also wanted to truly make this unveiling a celebration of Benjamin himself and in honor of what was his 320th birthday on January 17.

She has also created a whole year’s worth of celebrating Franklin and Franklin through the Ben on the Bench project, starting with her own book — DISCOVER THE WIT, WISDOM, AND WONDER of Franklin, Tennessee through the eyes of the man who inspired its name in Benjamin Franklin: America’s First Rockstar. Created in honor of Franklin’s 320th birthday and the unveiling of his new downtown statue, this commemorative guidebook blends history, humor, walking-tour adventures, and local lore into one beautifully crafted companion.

Explore Main Street through Benjamin Franklin’s most iconic aphorisms, uncover hidden ties to Dr. Hugh Williamson — the county’s forgotten Founding Father — and learn how Enlightenment ideals still shape the culture, civics, and creativity of Williamson County today. Rich with illustrated maps, historic photos, and QR-linked “bonus stories,” this book transforms the city into an open-air museum where every block carries a spark of Franklin’s genius.

As part of the multi-event celebration that took place earlier this month, Pam also penned Ben Franklin Visits Franklin for a Day — a children’s book illustrated by Isabella McKaskill.

It is hard to find individuals who put their money where their mouth is when it comes to creating projects of meaning and worth, which will give our community a piece of art and history that will become part of our overall heritage. That is what Pam Lewis has done here, and as we continue to celebrate our community partner in both her work and that of the spirit of community lived by Benjamin Franklin, one can’t help thinking that past and present have collided perfectly in the meeting of these two renaissance minds — always striving to make our history cool and never forgotten.