Franklin-Pearson House
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History of the Franklin-Pearson House

The Franklin-Pearson House in Cowan, Tennessee has a colorful history that is closely intertwined with the building of a railroad between Nashville and Chattanooga and the founding of a university atop Sewanee Mountain.

Between 1830 and 1840, coal was discovered in the Cumberland Mountains above the small rural community that had recently been named "Cowan". Business investors from Nashville and New York City immediately began to investigate the feasibility of tapping the coal resources in these mountains and marketing it for it valuable fuel. It so happened in this time frame that plans were under way to build a railroad from Nashville to Chattanooga. The coal discovery in the Cumberlands not only gave the railroad company added incentive to build, but also encouraged the railroad to choose a route that would bring the tracks as close to the coalmines as possible. Cowan was an obvious choice for the railroad because of its close proximity to the coal mines and the fact that the Crow Creek Gap southeast of Cowan was one of the lowest points on the entire Cumberland Plateau.

Construction of the railroad soon began only to reach a stopping a point when the tracks came to Cowan. Even with the reduced elevation at Crow Creek Gap the mountain was still impassable by railroad. "No locomotive on God's earth will climb that mountain," the critics said, and so the entire project was on the verge of abandonment until an engineering consultant suggested that the railroad "bore a hole in it." Thence, in 1849, construction began on the Cumberland Mountain Tunnel.

The Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad (N&C) brought crews into Cowan to work round-the-clock shifts so the tunnel could open as soon as possible. The crews were expeditious, but careful not to damage the mountain with too many explosives. To help accommodate the workers and supervisors, a brick boarding house was built in Cowan in 1850 to serve as a home away from home. The sturdy, two-story structure served its purpose well beyond the completion of the tunnel. As the N&C Railroad moved into full swing, the boarding house became a home away from home for the railroad workers in various trades.

The Cumberland Mountain Tunnel indeed made the Cumberland Mountain passable by train; however, the grade was steep enough to require extra locomotives to help heavy freight trains over the mountain. The Cowan Pusher District was born and helped Cowan emerge as a railroad operations center.

Later that same decade the Sewanee Mining Company constructed an even steeper railroad to access the vitally important coalfields in the mountains above Cowan. The president of the N&C paid a visit to Cowan and to the Sewanee Mining Company to observe everything firsthand. Local tradition tells that he was so overwhelmed by the beauty of the area that he went home to Nashville and met with the bishop of the newly formed Diocese of Tennessee. He told the bishop that he had found "the most beautiful place on God's earth", and that it would make the perfect place to build a place of higher learning. The Bishop of Tennessee as well as several other bishops in the Episcopal Church had already envisioned such a place, and after touring the mountains above Cowan the vision became reality. In 1860, Bishop Quintard placed the cornerstone of The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee.

With a successful railroad and a new University, Cowan grew to a bustling community. The railroad development brought new industry into the area and the university a new era of cultural, social and academic development. Soon there were new homes built in Cowan and a thriving new downtown businesses district. As word about Cowan and Sewanee got around - and as reliable passenger train service came into existence - the railroad boarding house got a new purpose in life. Besides catering to railroad workers the house served the hospitality needs of rail travelers and visitors to the University.

By the turn of the 20th Century, the boarding house was remodeled and expanded into a full-service hotel. The Franklin House, as it was named in 1906, earned a reputation for fine dining, superior accommodations, and great hospitality almost immediately. The simple and humble structure that was once a railroad boarding house emerged as a handsome downtown landmark in the middle of Cowan's vibrant business district.

Adding to the hotel's successful portfolio was a contract with the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railroad (NC&St.L) to provide meal service for train passengers during scheduled "meal breaks". Travelers on the NC&St.L raved about the anticipated ritual of arriving in downtown Cowan, being greeted on the street by a uniformed waiter ringing a dinner bell, and being seated inside an elegant dining room with an attentive staff serving some of the south's finest dishes. After being served, the passengers would return to the train to continue their journeys, but many of them came back to Cowan to enjoy an extended visit to the Franklin House and to admire the awesome natural beauty of the Cumberland Mountains.

Progress was the norm for Cowan as the 20th century wore on. The City of Cowan was incorporated and chartered in 1922, the same year that the downtown streets were paved and a new public school was built. More and more retail businesses were opened and two major industries came into town - a shoe factory and cement plant. The Franklin House, both the hotel and the restaurant, were a continuing success even when the introduction of railroad dining cars resulted in cancellation of the meal service contract. The growing University, the successful industries, and the majestic beauty of the area kept the Franklin House going strong, even when it was sold and renamed in 1942.

The Parker House, as it had been renamed, attempted a fresh look and a new attitude; however, following World War II some drastic changes in American society began to unfold. The growing popularity of automobiles and the building of new highways made passenger trains and railroad hotels less important to the traveling public. The Parker House owners, attempting to cut costs and diversify their business plans, closed the renowned restaurant and leased the available space to different businesses. Sadly, passenger trains and railroad hotels were not the only entities harmed by the growth of automobile travel. Small towns along railroad slowly began to wither, but the town of Cowan held on strongly. Businesses continued to thrive and the old hotel continued to serve travelers and boarders. Cowan residents still preferred the passenger train as a means of travel, but soon there were cuts in service, particularly on the famous Goat Line to Sewanee.

A dark cloud settled over Cowan in 1965 when all passenger train service on the Nashville-Chattanooga line ceased. The hotel and even most of downtown Cowan seemed to have less and less appeal to travelers and to businesses. Finally, in 1965, one of the worst disasters in Franklin County history struck downtown Cowan.

On May 9, 1965, a fire erupted in the Parker House hotel. As the blaze grew out of control, other downtown properties began to burn. Seven fire departments were called in to assist while hundreds of Cowan citizens turned out in droves. Before their very eyes the old hotel, a landmark that had served the community and the public for over 100 years, was going up in smoke. For some people, this was the end of the hotel forever and it was truly then the beginning of the end for downtown Cowan.

When the smoke cleared and the damage was assessed, roughly half of the hotel structure was still intact albeit with significant damage. Although the local media speculated that the remainder of the building would be demolished and buried with the rest of the rubble the owners decided to divide the surviving sections and sell them as separate business plots. The section with the heaviest damage was partially razed and sold to an insurance company. The local barber bought a section that included some of the few remaining hotel rooms, which he made available as affordable housing. The local pharmacist continued ownership of his section, which had the least amount of fire damage, but the remaining hotel rooms above his businesses were sealed off.

The decline of downtown Cowan increased with the demise of the hotel. The situation reached a crisis level in 1973 when the railroad announced plans to demolish the venerable Cowan Depot. A group of concerned citizens and downtown business owners, gravely concerned that the town was losing yet another important landmark, used this crisis as a catalyst to get some preservation efforts underway and breath new life into downtown.

The Cowan Beautification Commission was organized to save the depot and make a railroad museum while also sprucing up downtown. After countless hours of hard work and tough negotiations, downtown Cowan received a much-needed facelift with freshly painted buildings, a downtown park and a new railroad museum.

Cowan had a new attitude and a better outlook until yet another round of economic setbacks when Cowan's two largest employers, Genesco Shoe Factory and Marquette Cement, closed their doors in the late 1970's. As unemployment numbers grew, families began to relocate and downtown commerce declined further. One downtown building after another fell into disrepair and businesses one by one began to close doors. New businesses were attempted, and old businesses tried to hold on, but Cowan was taking on an appearance it had never had before. By the year 2000 downtown Cowan was almost a ghost town. Memories of passenger trains, vibrant businesses, and a famous hotel had almost all forgotten.

Amidst some of the worst economic times the town had ever experienced, the people of Cowan were determined to see better days. The community organization pulled together to make repairs to the railroad park and to spark renewed interest in preserving the town. The key remaining businesses owners invested in their buildings and worked for economic betterment. Then in 2001 an unprecedented sequence of events took place. Two downtown buildings were purchased by a local citizen and a restoration project began immediately. Soon another building was purchased and then another. By the year 2002 there were six major building restorations in downtown Cowan with plans for new businesses. The city government pitched in with new sidewalks and upgraded sewer and water systems, and downtown Cowan began to bustle with activity again. Then in August of 2002 an important announcement was made - the old hotel was being reborn as a Bed and Breakfast in what remained of the original hotel structure. In September of 2003, the Franklin-Pearson House opened for business.

By the Year 2006, more buildings were restored and several new businesses opened. Cowan also received a downtown welcome center to promote the growing tourism industry and a performing arts center to help promote cultural understanding and preservation.

Today, the Franklin-Pearson House carries on the tradition of the "Old Hotel" with its gleaming restoration and unique original features. Seven of the original hotel rooms are available for guests who enjoy a new era of fine hospitality in Cowan's renewed downtown setting. Fine restaurants and specialty gift shops, all in the immediate downtown vicinity, have cooperated to make Cowan a destination of choice for Sewanee families, weekend travelers, and people who enjoy beautiful scenery and down home hospitality.

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