Monumental task: New displays showcase history of downtown Franklin buildings

Ryan Trares, Lifestyle Writer, Daily Journal of Johnson County

Tuesday, March 10, 2026 5:39 PM

The Monumental Memories display on North Main Street shows historic photos of downtown Franklin over more than 100 years. The display is one of two installed by Discover Downtown Franklin, with help from Franklin Heritage, the Johnson County Museum of History and the Franklin Public Art Advisory Commission. RYAN TRARES | DAILY JOURNAL

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The displays tell a story of a bygone era.

An interurban railcar sits in front of the silhouette of the Johnson County courthouse. Cars park in front of the Artcraft Theatre and Nick’s Candy Kitchen. A Standard Oil filling station welcomes customers passing through Franklin.

Much has changed in downtown Franklin since those photographs were taken, but the area remains a hub for entertainment, dining, shopping and more.

Now, a new effort by city leaders hopes to tie its bustling present to its storied past.

“A lot of people, especially young people, have no idea that any of these things happened, or that these buildings were there,” said Danny Causey, executive director of Discover Downtown Franklin.

With the creation of the Monumental Memories program, Discover Downtown Franklin and other supporters of the downtown area hope to spotlight the city center’s rich architectural, social and business heritage. Display panels — one across from the courthouse square on North Main Street, the other along Water Street — feature historic photos to show what the downtown area used to look like, what has changed and what remains the same.

That history is part of what makes Franklin so attractive to visitors and residents alike, said Jen Weltich, assistant director of Discover Downtown Franklin.

“We don’t have a riverfront or anything like that to draw people in. What we have is our history and our historic, walkable downtown. We want to emphasize that and remind people how cool our city is,” she said.

Monumental Memories is the result of collaboration between Discover Downtown Franklin, Franklin Heritage, the Johnson County Museum of History and the Franklin Public Art Advisory Commission.
The program was born out of a desire to promote historic preservation in the city.

“The historic buildings in our downtown are one of the main reasons Franklin has such great character and people want to visit,” Causey said.

Previously, the city had installed a series of map cases in the blocks surrounding the courthouse, advertising upcoming events, promotions and a map of the area.

But while one side of the cases featured information for visitors and residents, the other side was blank.

“The other side was just a big black square on the back of them. There was nothing going on there. We thought that would be a perfect place to put some art or something else there,” Causey said.

Pondering what could go on the back of the cases, Discover Downtown Franklin staff fixed their plans on the wealth of historic photos that showcased the downtown area. Of particular interest were the images captured for Life Magazine in a Dec. 2, 1940 feature on Saturday night in downtown Franklin.

A main focus of the effort was on the places and structures that had been lost over time.

“We’ve lost a ton of really great buildings, whether that was from demolition or fire. And people are very interested in those things,” Causey said. “One thing we want to do is make people care about what we still have.”

Each of the displays focuses on a different portion of downtown Franklin.

On North Main Street, the display features an unused photograph from the Life Magazine shoot depicting the bustling cityscape. Cars line up outside the Artcraft Theatre and other buildings as pedestrians mill around. Inset photos show an interurban car and the former station, explaining their importance to the city.

A QR code links to the collection of Life Magazine photos for people who want to explore more in-depth.

The South Water Street display offers an aerial view of the downtown area, with timelines and photos showing many of the older buildings that have been torn down over time.

“Everybody loves a good historic photo. It means a lot to us to continue to build pride in our city. Having a great city like we have, the more interesting things that people can visit as they’re walking around, the more people are going to come back,” Causey said.

Both displays have red “You Are Here” icons to further put people into the scene.

“So when you’re standing there looking at it, you can really figure out where you’re at,” Causey said.

The idea was to give visitors and local residents a sense of what the downtown area used to look like, and learn more about some of the stories that shaped the city.

So far, the program has resulted in two displays set up in the downtown area. But organizers are planning to install more; Discover Downtown Franklin has applied for a grant to fund more of the displays.

Organizers hope that by getting more people to understand what downtown looked like in the past, they’ll be more invested in maintaining its unique qualities in the future.

“The history of our city is what gives it character. We’ve lost a lot of it to quote-unquote ‘progress’ over the years,” Causey said.

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