Mary Pearce – The Gladiator of Preservation
Mary Pearce is one of Williamson County’s greatest heroes. She has invested four decades in preservation leadership and has worked tirelessly to ensure Williamson County is a place that honors its past and protects its historic resources. While Williamson County continues to be one of the fastest growing communities in America, its many national awards have been thanks to historic preservation successes; many of them a product of the feisty blonde, red lipstick wearing, gladiator of preservation: Mary Pearce.
“If I were a puppy dog with muddy feet, there would be a lot of paw prints everywhere,” says Mary. “My disclaimer is that I never did anything by myself. I always had a whole lot of other people helping. We have always had an incredible sales team for preserving Williamson County: People like Robert Hicks, Julian Bibb, Rudy Jordan, Calvin and Marilyn LeHew, Judy Hayes, Mary Mills and all the amazing board members and staff I have worked with over the years, to name a very few. We stand on the shoulders of people who started the historic preservation movement in Franklin. My personal mentors were Sue Berry, Bo Stewart and Ruth Kinnard.”
Where Would We Be Without Mary?
For 31 years, Mary was the Executive Director of the Heritage Foundation from 1986 to 2017 following in the footsteps of Rudy Jordan after serving on its board for several years. With a staff of just seven amazing ladies, Rick Warwick and some key donors, Mary was trusted to continue Rudy’s work to help save downtown Franklin’s most important places with Nancy Williams and later Kristy Williams serving as Main Street Directors under the Heritage Foundation.
Some of Mary’s major projects included Streetscape approval and private sector funding, the Franklin Theatre, The Factory at Franklin, the Old Old Jail, the McLemore House, Roper’s Knob, and many more. “These resources have brought millions of dollars along with awards for Franklin, all centering around historic preservation,” says Mary. “We need to run as fast as we can at saving historic resources and protecting community character so we don’t become Anywhere, USA.”
Grab a cup of coffee, and enjoy the story of a “little lady” from Somerset, Kentucky who became one of Franklin’s greatest preservation heroes wrapped up in a tiny package with red lipstick, a big heart, and more energy than all of us put together.
Leading the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County for 31 Years
When Mary moved to Franklin in 1978, she met her preservation soulmate, Rudy Jordan. They quickly became friends. Rudy was standing up to developers who were tearing down history. Rudy was the third Executive Director for the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County (1978-1986). Mary became a volunteer, and together they became unstoppable advocates for their shared passion for historic preservation. Read Rudy Jordan’s story here.
Rudy says, “Mary has a wonderful, cheerful way of bringing people together to accomplish preservation projects. It has been the pleasure of my life to work with my best friend, Mary Pearce.” Rudy’s late husband Peter Jordan said of Mary, “Don’t ask Mary to do something unless you really mean it.”
In 1986, Mary became the fourth Executive Director of the Heritage Foundation. The Downtown Franklin Association merged under her careful watch. Mary’s small but mighty staff continued the Heritage Ball, the tour of homes, and the downtown Franklin festivals, originally started by Rudy.
The Main Street Festival, Pumpkinfest, and Dickens of a Christmas continue to draw thousands of people to downtown every year. Mary continued the tradition of the Heritage Ball, the organization’s largest fundraiser for many years. Today, the festivals bring over 300,000 locals and visitors to downtown and add more than $10 million annually to the economy.
The Dynamic Duo
Mary and Rudy were a dynamic duo for two decades helping make Franklin the Hallmark town it is today. They changed the face of historic Franklin through preservation projects, implementing historic zoning ordinances, and Streetscaping. They have been a voice for so many historic homes and buildings that might have been torn down or neglected.
When they both moved here in the 1970s, Franklin was not the charming city we all know and love. “I’m not sure you would have fallen in love with the Franklin I fell in love with,” explains Mary. Thankfully, historian Rick Warwick was documenting much of Franklin’s history, and men like Bill Powell and Michael Lee were working to restore dozens of old homes, buildings, and churches.
In 1972, Franklin’s 16-block downtown area received recognition as a National Registered District. At the time, Franklin had the highest concentration of buildings possessing historic and architectural value in Tennessee. The original 16-block area of downtown was drawn up by Franklin’s founder Abram Maury.
Saving the Places That Matter
Back in 1967, Franklin was a sleepy rural town of about 7,000 people. Not much had changed since the 1864 Battle of Franklin. In 1967, the Corn House, one of Franklin’s most architecturally significant antebellum homes was torn down to make way for a gas station on the corner of 5th Avenue North and Bridge Street.
Mr. Wilbur Corn owned Lillie Mills which made “Franklin Lady Flour” at the time. Citizens were outraged and The Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County was formed to preserve the county’s historic resources.
The opening of I-65 brought an increase of new development to Franklin. A 30,000 sq. ft. shopping center on the southeast corner of Public Square was announced. The development demolished even more important buildings. The shopping center never became a huge success, and it closed in the early 1980s to be repurposed as Franklin’s City Hall.
There were a handful of men like Roberts Hicks, Eric Jacobson, and Julian Bibb who were concerned about saving Civil War battlefield sites, along with Carnton, Carter House and other important historic homes and buildings. Mary joined forces with Franklin’s Charge which works to preserve America’s threatened Civil War battlefields in Williamson County, Tennessee.
Franklin’s Streetscape Program
After Mary became Director of the Heritage Foundation in 1984, she and Rudy worked hand-in-hand with Ed Silva, Bo Stewart and long-time merchants to get Streetscape over the top. This was an effort to completely redesign the downtown streets and lower the crown of the streets to avoid future flooding of the downtown buildings was essential. The project began in 1990 and included installing new sidewalks, street lights, and trees from First to Fifth Avenue on Main Street.
When Mary first started working on it she was told, “Little lady, go back home and feed your children.” She was also told she was a “Russian” and, “We do not need her to tell us what to do with our property.”
To help pay for the sidewalks, each property owner was assessed an amount by linear footage in front of their buildings through a 10-year special assessment tax.
Beloved local businessman John M. Green was willing to put an electric pole in front of his insurance/real estate office on 4th Avenue South (now Triple Crown Bakery). Because of Mr. Green’s support, the Heritage Foundation was able to create a “model of streetscape” which helped in gaining support for the proposed improvements including streetlights, trees, underground wiring, and street benches.
Historic Zoning Overlays
In 1988, the Franklin board of Mayor and Aldermen tasked Rudy and Mary to determine the level of support among local residential and commercial property owners for the historic overlay zoning they were proposing. Historic zoning overlays are crucial to protecting historic resources like Franklin’s Main Street, along with historic buildings, homes, and neighborhoods.
They went door-to-door to canvas interest in protecting the historic properties in the 16 blocks of the original town with local, enforceable legislation. Rudy took 1st, 2nd and part of 3rd Avenues and Mary took the rest of 3rd, 4th and 5th (later Hincheyville). They received huge support and got enough signatures for HZO passed by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
Next, were efforts to tighten up sign regulations. City Planner Bob Martin advocated for better design regulations as well. They had a lot of opposition at the time and were told this could stop economic development.
Mary, City of Franklin staff, and some elected officials knew Franklin needed to do both, economic development along with historic preservation. “We needed to learn how to dance together,” says Mary. Through persistence, non-supporters began to see that historic zoning actually helped development.
“Franklin did not happen by accident. We needed to create a vision to save historic places to make them part of our future,” explains Mary.
Saving the Franklin Theatre
The community’s most beloved project was saving the Franklin Theatre. Built in 1937, the iconic Art Deco designed building was losing money and in disrepair. In 2007, the two gentlemen who owned it were willing to sell it to the Heritage Foundation. They were able to purchase the theater and the pool hall next door. Damon Rogers, a native and Heritage Foundation employee at the time, coined the theater “The Home of First Kisses”.
Guardian angel, Emily Magid, secretly loaned the Heritage Foundation $2 million to purchase it and get it into friendly hands. She later forgave the loan. Businessman and philanthropist, Cal Turner Jr., donated a $1 million lead gift to the project. Shannon and Charlie Martin issued a challenge grant to complete the funding.
As more expenses were incurred, Preston and Beth Ingram gave an additional $1 million. With the help of many more donors, the Franklin Theatre underwent an $8.6 million renovation that took four years to complete. The project was blessed to have full engagement and support of the Heritage Foundation Board and incredible volunteers like Aubrey Preston.
Shelly Robertson Birdsong, former Heritage Foundation Director of Events and Fundraising says, “We had so much fun and success during my time at the Heritage Foundation. While working with Mary Pearce, I learned everything I know about community engagement and collaboration with other organizations, volunteerism, along with having a small team doing big things.”
Cyril Stewart, former Heritage Foundation Board President says, “Mary has this amazing ability to get people on board with her enthusiasm, her logic, and the way she approaches people. She reaches into their hearts, and ultimately their pocket book.”
In addition to a state-of-the-art sound system, part of the restoration was to bring back the original design. A 40-foot burgundy marquee trimmed with 300 feet of neon was a gift from Next Generation Heritage Foundation, a group of young Williamson County professionals ages 21 to 40. They raised $100,000 so the theater could have its marvelous marquee back.
Opening night was held on June 3, 2011, and it was magical thanks to former Broadway Jersey boy Jake Speck. “We got the Jersey Boys from Broadway to sing ‘Oh What a Night’.”
“Magic was happening on Main Street with the opening of the Franklin Theatre. Young people were being employed, and businesses were finally staying open later at night. It especially helped the restaurants.”
The Kentucky Girl Who Transformed Franklin, TN
Mary is no stranger to struggle and hard times. Sadly her father died in WW2 when his Naval ship was bombed. Her widowed mother returned home to Kentucky to give birth to Mary.
As a young girl, Mary became interested in historic preservation. She watched her grandmother remarry and work on an old farmhouse with her beloved stepfather, Mr. Harry. Three years later her mother and stepfather bought and restored a historic home on Somerset’s Main Street.
“I loved everything about it—design, rehabilitation, cleaning wavy glass, identifying wood, and hanging out on the front porch. Wow! No ranch house for me, but rather an upstairs bedroom with historic windows tucked in a dormer and beautiful inlaid wood flooring.
“I made frequent trips to visit my grandparents and country relatives in Cabin Holler and Pisgah. I loved the barns, fields planted with crops, chicken coops, exploring for arrowheads, and the sleeping porch. My town and country churches were all historic buildings, as well as the ice house, farm supply store, and downtown shopping stores.
“I always loved the adventure of setting out on my bike to explore the ‘Southern Railroad’ part of town and old cemeteries. My mother’s garden club redid the Public Square so I was exposed to investing in our downtown. When it came time to go to college, my natural choice was Transylvania University in Lexington, the oldest college west of the Allegheny Mountains.”
Mary and her first husband moved to the incredible historic city of Charleston, South Carolina so he could attend medical school. “I was lucky to live right downtown at 20 State Street.
“I volunteered with the Historic Charleston Foundation and worked setting up clinics for the health department at locations like Kiawah and Edisto Beach, which are now resort towns.” This organization focused on preserving Charleston’s heritage through preservation initiatives, advocacy efforts, and house museums.
Mary explains, “It was an adventure to get up early and walk the streets as the town woke up with the flower ladies setting up. You could see the brass door handles being polished. The Charleston Marketplace would be coming to life.
“Charleston’s Mayor at the time, Joe Riley, was a voice for historic preservation deeming nothing historic should be demolished and advocated for historic zoning. I witnessed first-hand what it meant to not be ‘Anywhere, USA’. I quickly realized the dollars and sense of historic preservation.”
Living Her Passion – Historic Preservation
After her first husband graduated, they needed to pick a place to settle. “I knew I wanted to be a short drive away from Somerset, but also have a rich history like Charleston. The town also needed to have a growing medical community.
“In 1980, I moved to 4th Avenue South in Franklin and my Franklin and Williamson County historic preservation journey began. It was clear what Franklin had to offer. I immediately became involved in all things preservation.”
Rudy was a great role model having just saved Dr. Daniel McPhail’s home which was under threat of demolition to make way for a parking garage. Dr. Cliffe’s tiny building later became Rudy’s office for the Heritage Foundation (1978-1984). She was upstairs, and the downstairs served as the Visitor Information Center, long before Visit Franklin became the visitor’s bureau.
Mary explains, “I was a newcomer, and took orders from local citizens on what to do in regards to preservation. When Rudy left the Heritage Foundation, it was suggested that I apply for the job, so I did. This was just the beginning of my Williamson County journey. My background was non-profit work, but my passion was historic preservation.”
Once Mary became the Executive Director for the Heritage Foundation in 1984, the organization’s momentum continued to expand. In addition to leading the organization, Mary restored old houses, chaired the Carter House Candlelight tours, volunteered at Carnton, and attended the National Trust for Historic Preservation conferences.
Former Alderman Margaret Martin is shown above with Mary when they co-chaired the Heritage Ball. They remain great friends and are both Franklin treasures for all they have done to make the city a better place to live. Read Margaret’s backstory here.
Margaret says, “Mary is my go-to person for just about everything! I once told a big developer who said he knew all about building in Franklin, but who asked me, ‘Who is Mary?’ I replied, ‘If you don’t know MARY, you know nothing about developing in Franklin!’.”
Saving the Old Old Jail
In 2013, Mary was worried the Heritage Foundation had no permanent home. Mary and her staff encouraged the Heritage Foundation Board to approach the City of Franklin to buy the Old Old Jail on Bridge Street as a permanent location. They had been located at the Five Points Post Office, but could not secure a long-term lease. The Old Old Jail had mold, peeling lead paint, asbestos, and was boarded up for over a decade with a leaking roof.
The Heritage Foundation was eventually able to gain donor support. The Old Old Jail had been viewed as a blighted building. It was a great visionary project, but some donors did not want to give to another enormous preservation effort. Mary was told, “This is the most outrageous thing we have ever heard of.”
“The building was an environmental disaster,” explains Mary. “It took three years to restore, and how blessed we were to have a permanent home of the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County. Look at it now!” (As of this writing, the building is up for sale.)
Mary’s Hand in Franklin’s Preservation
Bill Powell compares Mary to Jimmy Stewart in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” He says, “If Mary hadn’t been here, Franklin would have been a nice town, but it wouldn’t be what it is today.”
Nancy Williams, followed Rudy Jordan as Director of the DFA and the Tennessee Main Street Program for 17 years. She shared, “Mary is probably the most tenacious person I’ve ever known, but it’s all wrapped up in kindness, fun, and some red lipstick!”
Here is a list of the major projects Mary has been a part of which include some of the most important in the realm of preservation of saving:
- The Franklin Theatre
- The Factory at Franklin from demolition
- The Old, Old Jail from demolition
- Roper’s Knob
- McLemore House
- Merrill-Williams House
- Implemented Streetscaping Main Street team
- Maintained and grew the downtown Franklin festivals
- Partnered with The Land Trust for Tennessee
- Partnered with the lawsuit to stop 840 Exit in Leiper’s Fork
- Launched Battlefield Reclamation
- Launched Historic Zoning
- Moved over a half dozen houses to save from demolition
- Encouraged the City of Franklin to save Harlinsdale Farm as a city park
- Implemented Certified Local Government
- Advocated for planning that supports saving historic resources
- Secured funding for books on local history
- Advocated for saving Fort Granger
- Created an office for Williamson County historian, Rick Warwick
- Obtained Multiple Historic Resource Nominations
- Obtained several National Register Nominations for Franklin
- Works with the Pilgrimage Festival as manager of the Americana Music Experience Tent and serves on their advisory board.
In addition, Mary was a founding member of African American Heritage Society, Franklin’s Charge, Visit Franklin and early supporter for Save the Franklin Battlefield, Cumberland Region Tomorrow, Leadership Franklin, and Franklin Tomorrow.
Saving The Factory at Franklin
The Factory at Franklin was going to be imploded for the movie “Backdraft”. Mary went to Calvin LeHew to help save it. He had an office at 4th and Main where 55 South is now located with his wife Marilyn. They also owned “Choices” restaurant in that building.
Mary told Calvin he was going to have to be the one to buy the old Jamison Bedding Company location at The Factory to keep the film company from blowing up all the buildings. Calvin could see the potential of The Factory and had just sold his buildings on Main Street. He ended up being the highest bidder and purchasing it for $1 million in 1996. Two decades later, The Factory at Franklin is bigger and better than ever as a destination for shopping, dining, theater, and events.
The McLemore House
Mary continues to be a member of the African American Heritage Society. Her efforts helped save the McLemore House, and now she is working with them to save the Merrill-Williams House at 264 Natchez Street. They are partnering with Middle Tennessee State University, and it will be another important story to tell for the Natchez Street community.
Alma McLemore says, “The Heritage Foundation was doing great work, but the African-American story was not being told. Mary got them to change that, and got the board to approve buying the McLemore House. The Heritage Foundation purchased the house and deeded it to the African-American Society for one dollar.”
Alma says, “Mary is the energizer bunny and gets things done. Her fingerprints are on everything in this community.” She even donated her grandmother’s antique furniture to the McLemore House Museum.
Battlefield Reclamation and the African-American Heritage Society
“I am presently working on the rehabilitation of 264 Natchez Street (the Merrill-Williams House backstory) to create a community history and battlefield reclamation center.’
Mary worked with Robert Hicks and Eric Jacobson to reclaim Franklin’s Civil War battlefield. She was involved with Franklin’s Charge to encourage Rod and Kay Heller to purchase the Eastern Flank Battlefield Park and hold that historic property in safe hands until the preservation community stepped in.
She advocated for battlefield reclamation on Columbia Avenue where a Pizza Hut and Domino’s once sat near the Carter House. She was asked in front of a Youth Leadership group, “If you had a magic wand, what would you do?”
Mary pleaded, “I would like the rest of the money to buy the Domino’s to reclaim the core of Franklin’s Civil War Battlefield.” Calvin LeHew, who was on the panel with Mary, said, “DONE and donated the money!”
Another one of Mary’s efforts was to sell pizzas for $1,000 to buy the battlefield property where the Domino’s was located. This concluded Franklin’s Charge funding efforts to buy the site to reclaim as battlefield land.
Five Points Post Office
“My best day was offering Rick Warwick an office in the Five Points Post Office, which served as The Heritage Foundation offices at the time,” says Mary. Since Williamson County Historian Rick Warwick was at the Williamson County Archives every day, Mary invited Rick to have an office inside their Heritage Foundation offices.
“Rick Warwick is our magic sauce,” says Mary. She never approached City Hall without Rick’s help. He would have the history and a picture to help champion a property.
In 2014, First Bank leased and built out their portion of the building after the Heritage Foundation moved to the Historic Old, Old Jail on 112 Bridge Street. Mary created a wonderful new office for Rick in that building. Read how Rudy Jordan saved Five Points Post Office.
Rick Warwick says, “Mary Pearce has had a monumental impact on Franklin and Williamson County. Her leadership in preservation is unparalleled. Her involvement in battlefield reclamation, saving Roper’s Knob, Harlinsdale, Franklin Theatre, McLemore House, Fred Williams House, stonewalls, National Register nominations, etc. The Franklin and Williamson County we love today has her fingerprints embossed on everything we cherish. Thank God for Mary Pearce.”
Mary’s Hand in Westhaven
When the Westhaven development was being discussed. Mary knew there was support to develop this farmland. She needed a visionary to protect that beautiful farmland and make it special. She encouraged Southern Land Company Founder and CEO Tim Downey to meet with architects Andres Duany and his wife Elizabeth who designed Seaside, Florida. Tim says, “I don’t think Westhaven would be what you see today if it hadn’t been for Mary coordinating a meeting with me to meet Andres Duany.”
Andres taught Tim so much on how to design Westhaven. Mary says she’s grateful Westhaven is a village-type community which has been extended to other areas of Franklin, including Berry Farms.
“The main reason you want historic preservation is for the livability of the citizens,” says Mary. “It’s great to have tourists. They are saving us tax dollars. We want them, but there are lots of people in Franklin and Williamson County who can’t afford to travel everywhere. Those people need to have a great time right here every day.”
“When God needs you, he’ll know where to find you.”
Coach Jimmy Gentry told Mary, “Find out where you belong and work hard. When God needs you, he’ll know where to find you.”
Mary humbly says, “I have gotten to do my passion. Historic Preservation takes everyone, so I want to be clear, I never did anything alone. I had the help of other organizations and amazing visionaries and philanthropists.”
“I hope newcomers can understand that nothing that is preserved happened by accident. We can lose the very things that attract people and businesses to this place we call HOME one seemingly reasonable decision at a time.”
When asked about the future of Franklin, Mary says, “We always need a bit of magic and today it would be to create a Franklin and Williamson County planning committee that honors and protects our community’s historic resources. This includes the architectural treasures, historic roadways, cemeteries, hillsides and century farms as we continue to grow. We are a place people want to live because of our community character.
“The historic resources most at risk are all the structures throughout Williamson County that have no historic zoning protection and/or a conservation easement. Our current example is Beechwood Hall. The Masonic Hall is another because it’s a National Historic Landmark, the only other property in Williamson County to receive such a designation is the Franklin Battlefield.” Read our Masonic Hall backstory.
The Belle of the Ball – Saving Places That Matter
Mary Pearce is truly the belle of the ball in our book when it comes to Franklin preservation. There will never be anyone who has done more for our city and with such heart and passion. We asked her how she would like to be remembered.
“I would like to be remembered as someone who cared a lot and made a difference in saving places that matter.”
In 1995, Mary Evins found her best friend, Harris Pearce, and the two got married. They both have two children each from their previous marriages. Mary’s children are Holly and Stephen, and Harris gave her two bonus children, Maurine and Robbie. They are blessed to share ten beautiful grandchildren.
In 2017, Franklin Mayor Ken Moore named May 24th as “Mary Pearce Day.” Dick Moe, the past president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation said. ‘If every town had a Rudy Jordan and a Mary Pearce, America would be a different place’.”
Mary was recently honored at The Factory’s Turner Theater for her 40+ years of service to our community in a fabulous event called, “And Then Along Came Mary.” There were over $122,000 raised for 264 Natchez Street.
Franklin owes Mary such a debt of gratitude. Because of her dedication, we get to live in the best city in America. We are Lovely Franklin because of them. Thank you Mary Pearce, we are so grateful you chose Franklin to leave your extraordinary legacy.
Thank you YOUR Williamson for publishing this story in your magazine: Where Would We Be Without Mary
Thank you as always to Williamson County Historian Rick Warwick for allowing us access to his collection of historic photos. We also appreciate Victoria Pewitt and Trenton Lee Photography for their beautiful photography.
For thousands of new people moving to Middle Tennessee every year, it’s important for all of us to remember the history and the preservationists who have protected it, and the visionaries who shape Franklin’s future. It is a uniquely special place to call home.
Sharing the backstories of historic Franklin with love,
