Buffie Baril – Lovely Franklin Founder
Welcome to Franklin! My name is Buffie Baril. I am the founder of Lovely Franklin. Discover the fascinating backstories of the historic homes, interesting places, and fascinating people. Lovely Franklin also supports the downtown local businesses because they are the heart and soul of our community.
The first question I always get asked, “Is Buffie your real name?” Yes, it is. Really. There was a little American TV show in the late 1960s called Family Affair. I was named after the little twin sister, Buffy. Yes, I too, had a Mrs. Beasley doll like she did. It was a simpler time in the world, before the internet, mobile phones and YouTube. I am grateful to have humble beginnings.
I’m proud to now call myself a Franklin local. Sharing the stories of historic Franklin is my passion and that is why I founded Lovely Franklin. I promote all things we love about Franklin on our blog, digital guides, and map.
Growing Up in Bentonville, Arkansas
As a child of the 1970s and 80s, I grew up in the quaint town of Bentonville, Arkansas. I witnessed the growth of America’s largest retailer, Walmart, and its founder, Sam Walton. He was a pioneer and a billionaire, long before Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos. My mom worked for him for 20 years, and I worked at Walmart’s Corporate Office as a teenager.
What I learned growing up on Bentonville’s South Main Street, with a charming downtown square much like Franklin, is that the strength of a person often comes from the strength of the community in which you are born.
My favorite street was Central Avenue because it housed many of the historic homes of the city. I spent my entire childhood longing to enter those old homes to know their stories. I dreamed of fixing up the ones that had lost their loveliness.
What Bentonville and all its incredible people taught me was to honor and preserve the past, while looking to expand to enhance the lives of its citizens.
As preservationists, Lovely Franklin’s vision is to honor the legacy of our town by seeing the restoration of every historic home and property to her original beauty and telling her story so the world will experience her magical charm themselves.
Marriage & Music City
After graduating from Harding University with a degree in Marketing, somewhere between college and marriage to my best friend, Chuck, we moved to Nashville for music, built our first home, and God blessed us with three incredible children.
We raised our family in Gallatin, Tennessee. I am the former Director of Keep Gallatin Beautiful. After 21 years in the same home, we moved to the lovely city of Franklin. Her charm and beauty are an honor to behold.
My husband, Chuck, and I have three wonderful children. Our beautiful daughter, Brittany, is married to her dashing husband, Damian. They have three children: Belle, Judah, and Esther Rose. Our son Brandon works at Brentwood Optometric Physicians and is engaged to Adalie. Our son, Baron, is married to his lovely wife, Faith. He is a sales rep for SeekOne Roofing Company.
For the past two decades, my husband Chuck is an Elvis impersonator and owns the Nashville Booking Agency. He also owns Franklin Driving Tours and is part of our Lovely Franklin team.
We are extremely blessed and grateful for what God has given.
Tennessee Real Estate & Home Staging
In addition to Lovely Franklin, I am a Tennessee REALTOR® with my real estate partner, Rachael Putney. We are The Lovely Franklin Team at Corcoran Reverie. I am also an ASP® Accredited Home Stager. Sharing the Tennessee I love with people is my greatest joy.
Lovely Franklin
Because of our deep love of Franklin, we are passionate about telling the stories of our beloved town. From the historic homes and places to the fascinating people, we are honored to share them with you. Please enjoy my song I wrote about her, Lovely Franklin. It’s available on iTunes, Amazon Music, and Spotify. You can book Franklin Driving Tours here!
Franklin is truly a lovely city. We hope you will see why we love her so. So, whether you are a local or visiting our phenomenal town, your adventure with her is about to begin.
Welcome to lovely Franklin,
Send your comments and questions: buffie@lovelyfranklin.com
