Franklin Cotton Factory and Foundry - Franklin, TN
Posted by: 
jiggs11
N 35° 55.531 W 086° 51.929
16S E 512134 N 3975695
Marker describing the history of the Cotton Factory and Foundry, established in 1825.
Waymark Code: WMNYJV
Location: Tennessee, United States
Date Posted: 05/24/2015
Views: 5
The Franklin Cotton Factory and Foundry was established on this site in 1825. It flourished, until being sacked by Union forces in 1862.
The marker is accessible off 1st Street in Franklin. Plenty of parking is available nearby.
Marker text reads:
Franklin Cotton
Factory and Foundry
"Dyer Pearl, Thomas Parks and Joseph L. Campbell
established a manufacturing operation for the
production of cotton and woolen goods on this 3.5
acres site in 1825. The first steam powered loom in
the state was housed in the three-story building
measuring 50 foot long and 40 foot wide and contained
a 50 horsepower steam engine. By 1850, James
Plunkett became a partner in the business, which
employed 30 men and 17 women with a capital investment
of $35,672. The adjacent iron foundry had the capacity
to make castings for ploughs, stoves, andirons, gin
and mill machinery. It is believed the fluted columns
at the courthouse were molded here in 1857. In December
1862, the factory and foundry were destroyed by U.S.
troops under Brigadier Gen. David Stanley."
The reverse of the marker recounts the history behind Lillie Mills and the grain elevators.
Marker Name: Franklin Cotton Factory and Foundry - Franklin, TN
Marker Location: City
Type of Marker: Building
Marker Number: N/A
Group(s) Responsible for placing Marker:
Williamson County Historical Society 2010
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Visit Instructions:
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