The Harlin Family Legacy Continues with Boyle’s Latest Franklin Development

When you think about a legacy, the Harlin family in Franklin has left an extraordinary mark impacting Williamson County so favorably. It started decades ago with the agricultural industry and its economic impact, along with the notoriety of Midnight Sun, one of the greatest stallions in the Tennessee Walking Horse breed. 

The Harlin influence will continue for generations because they sold their 200-acre farm to the City of Franklin in 2005 to become the Park at Harlinsdale Farm. We owe this humble family so much gratitude for their stewardship of this land, often called the “Central Park” of Franklin.

This rich heritage all began with patriarch William Wirt (W.W.) Harlin, who founded Harlinsdale farm at a time when the Tennessee Walking Horse Industry was struggling. With the help of his nephew, Harlin Hayes, the farm became prosperous and world famous because of its prize stallion, Midnight Sun. He became the first repeat World Grand Champion in 1945 and 1946 and was named “The Horse Of The Century” contributing significantly to the breed’s lineage.

Harlinsdale Farm was a backdrop for the family home, Jasmine Grove, also known as Myles Manor, built in 1836. W.W. and his wife, Luella, had three sons – William (Bill) Wirt, Jr., Thomas Clay, Sr., and Alexander DeWitt. Brothers Bill and Tom Harlin were partners in Harlinsdale Farm.

During the 1960s, Tom Sr., W.W. Harlin’s second oldest son, purchased his own large acre farm south of downtown Franklin. He bought 311 breathtaking acres nestled in a valley to the west of Winstead Hill. The land was part of a Revolutionary War land grant given to Col. Ezekiel Polk, paternal grandfather of United States President James K. Polk, in the 1820s.

Tom and his wife, Margaret, turned their farmhouse, which was originally a small log cabin, into a gracious home for living and hospitality. The home was even featured in the June 1974 issue of Southern Living magazine article, “Franklin: Facing the Future And Remembering”.

The Harlins were strong community leaders. Tom attended Battle Ground Academy and was a Vanderbilt graduate with a degree in Engineering. He met his wife, Margaret Louise Bacon, a former Miss Vanderbilt. They were married 56 years and raised five children. 

Tom had a life-long career in the industrial uniform business and bought the property to establish a dairy farm. For almost 70 years, the Harlin family occupied this hidden valley. At its peak, it had 400 head of Holstein cows producing milk for Purity Dairy in Nashville and a co-op in Florida. To the delight of Tennesseans, the trucks would return from Florida filled with orange juice. The farm made a significant impact on Middle Tennessee providing much-need milk for the area. 

It took even more than 300 acres to sustain the operation to feed the free-roaming cows. Alfalfa hay and corn silage were grown throughout the bottom of Winstead Hill. When Franklin still had miles of pasture, hundreds of acres were leased by the Harlins: stretching from Polk Place to where Dallas Downs subdivisions now stand on Lewisburg Pike and Mac Hatcher, along Columbia Avenue where Target, Kroger and Chick-Fil-a are now located, and as far north as the old Werthan farm to where Taco Bell stands, all became much needed land to feed the dairy cows.

THE HARLIN DEVELOPMENT

After over 40 years in the dairy business, the Harlin family ceased operations to start a new chapter in their property’s legacy. They chose Boyle Investment Company to shape their land for the next generation.  

Using Franklin’s new Village Green design guideline adopted by Envision Franklin in 2024, a totally unique pastoral neighborhood plan emerged. The goal was to balance preservation with progress (per the City of Franklin’s mission statement). 

Conveniently located just minutes from downtown Franklin off Columbia Avenue and Coleman Road, Harlin will be a luxury community. It will offer estate homes with designs that reflect the character and quality Franklin is known for while embracing a broader vision of housing diversity. The development is designed to have more open space, limited mixed-use to mitigate vehicular traffic, and offer a variety of housing and amenities. 

There will be a mixture of town and country offerings with a blend of single-family homes, stately brownstones, and lovely condominium flats with elevator access. It will be surrounded by two to eight-acre lots to balance the neighboring farms and estates. Harlin’s mixed-use design encourages walkability for fewer car trips and more community connection. Residents will be able to easily walk to the Target/Kroger center.

Just like the close-knit family who called the land home for generations, Harlin will be genuinely warm and welcoming to the surrounding community. It will center on a village green with a conscientiously-designed collection of homes, gathering spaces, specialty shops, thoughtful places to work, a boutique inn, and even a community post office. 

IMPORTANT KEY FACTS:

Hillview Lane and Historic Resources: 

Boyle aspires to advance a plan developed two decades ago to protect Hillview Lane from the impacts of Mack Hatcher’s completion. This plan was shaped by residents, local leaders, historians, and environmental advocates to preserve this important Heritage Roadway. The Hillview Lane plan includes preserving the tree tunnel and creating a pedestrian-friendly corridor that links to Franklin’s parks and trails system. It’s a vision that’s still visible today on the City of Franklin’s website, and one Boyle is proud to bring to life.

Boyle and the City of Franklin have agreed to pave Hillview Lane in place to preserve its character (similar to preservation in practice on Old Natchez Trace). Together, they will maintain the existing 26’ road width, which exceeds the City standards by 4’. They will add a safety guardrail and restripe for a bike/walking lane installed, and Boyle will coordinate with the City of Franklin to gate the roadway until infrastructure is ready.

A new road from Mack Hatcher will be created between Hillview Lane and Target and the intersection of Mack Hatcher and Columbia Avenue will be built out to its full capacity.

Historic Winstead Hill and the Winstead Cemetery will continue to be preserved and protected. Winstead Hill was Franklin’s first preserved battleground site donated by “The Developer of Main Street Franklin,” Walter Aiken Roberts, in 1948. 

Infrastructure: 

Harlin’s development plan is intentionally phased to complement infrastructure milestones led by Boyle and supported by the City of Franklin and State of Tennessee. The City of Franklin has prioritized the Mack Hatcher Southeast expansion, backed by a recent property tax adjustment. TDOT will move forward with a 2032 commitment for these road improvements, and the timeline blends with Harlin’s phased development.

Boyle has committed to improve the Henpeck Lane/Coleman Road intersection before construction of the first house begins and make significant improvements to the Mack Hatcher/Columbia Avenue intersection. This investment is three to four times what is required by the City’s Road Impact Fee calculations. The Harlin project will be phased in harmony with the completion dates to ensure infrastructure keeps pace with growth.

Open Space:

With a vision of thoughtful land planning, 70% of the property, totaling 210 acres, will remain useful open space. This ensures that natural features such as hillsides, tree canopies, and waterways, are not only protected, but celebrated. The current 0.66 units per acre proposal is among the lowest density of any project considered in Franklin’s modern history. Harlin will give its residents room to roam and explore the land and Polk Creek, all while marveling at the magnificent sunsets this property provides.

ABOUT BOYLE

Boyle Investment Company is a family-owned firm and has been a cornerstone of Middle Tennessee’s real estate for over two decades. Locally owned and operated, Boyle operates with a long-term mindset by adding tremendous value by constructing beautiful developments for the Franklin community.

Their commitment to building some of Williamson County’s finest mixed-use developments like Berry Farms, McEwen Northside, and Meridian Cool Springs are examples of their real estate portfolio positively impacting Franklin. These properties blend walkability, livability, and workability into cohesive, enduring environments while bringing positive financial resources to Williamson County in terms of jobs, businesses, and infrastructure improvements. 

Boyle is not only one of the largest developers in the area, but also one of the largest property taxpayers in the county which contributes to local schools, police and fire services, libraries, infrastructure, and more.

Their legacy of designing homes, gathering spaces, and experiences that are genuinely warm and welcoming for a vibrant community will continue. We admire their life-long commitment to respecting the history and integrity of the land on which it is built.

The Harlin family and their legacy of hospitality remains Boyle’s north star. They are intentionally creating a community through architecture, landscape design, interior design, and land planning and stewardship with genuine warmth and care for people at its center.

For more information on the Harlan development plan, please visit: harlindevelopment.com

Thank you to Williamson County Historian Rick Warwick for allowing us access to his collection of historic photos. We also appreciate Trenton Lee Photography for their beautiful photography.

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