Franklin is nationally recognized for its diverse historic and architectural resources, spanning its award-winning Main Street, late-19th and early-to-mid-20th-century neighborhoods, historic cemeteries, rural farmsteads and corridors, archaeological sites, and Civil War resources. The preservation of these resources is of paramount importance to protecting Franklin’s unique heritage and cultural identity.  Franklin’s Historic Preservation Program promotes the identification, evaluation, rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, and restoration of the City’s historic, architectural, and archaeological heritage.

Historic preservation zoning is a municipal planning tool used to protect the architectural character of Franklin’s local Historic Districts by managing growth and change.  The Historic Zoning Commission (HZC) reviews any proposed exterior alterations within the Historic Preservation Overlay (HPO) for compliance with the Franklin Historic District Design Guidelines.

Projects covered by the Guidelines include the following exterior alterations to buildings, structures, or sites:

  • Construction of new buildings or structures;
  • Additions to buildings or structures, such as enclosed additions, porches, stoops, Porte cocheres, and decks;
  • Alterations or repair of existing buildings or structures for which a building permit is required;
  • Window alterations or replacement;
  • Siding or masonry alterations, excluding minor in-kind repair;
  • Roofing alterations, excluding in-kind repair;
  • Dormers;
  • Awnings and canopies;
  • Painting of unpainted masonry;
  • Site elements such as fences and walls, sidewalks and walkways, driveways and parking areas, lighting, etc.;
  • Signs;
  • Modern features on the building or installed on the property, such as mechanical equipment, communications equipment, fire escapes and exterior staircases, ramps and lifts, rooftop features, security bars, skylights, and solar installation;
  • Interior alterations that affect the exterior appearance of buildings;
  • Partial or wholesale demolition of buildings, structures, or historic site features; and
  • Relocation of buildings or structures.

The Preservation Planner may administratively approve minor alterations that do not affect the exterior appearance of a property in a substantial manner if the proposal complies with the Guidelines. At his or her discretion, the Preservation Planner may also refer the proposal to the HZC for review. Minor alterations eligible for Administrative COA approval include the following:

  • Signs;
  • Awning installation and replacement;
  • Rear yard fencing;
  • Mechanical equipment installation and screening;
  • Minor alterations to non-historic components on rear or obscured facades of historic or non-historic structures that enhance the compatibility with the context of the individual historic district (examples include rear doors, non-historic window replacement, or similar, but do not include any footprint or roofline alterations).

Following the approval of a project, a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) or an Administrative COA is issued.  To find out more about the submitting an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness, check out the Application User Guide and to check if you are within the Historic District check this Historic Preservation Overlay Map . 

To view a pending COA application, click on the development map