Highlights
Relive the tribulations of the Lotz family in late November 1864, when they weathered the bloody battle of Franklin
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About This Deal
Visitors explore the account and history of a single night of carnage in the Civil War and the family who weathered it together within the walls of their house. Exhibits range from carefully preserved antiques of the age—some possibly used in the battle—to bloodstains indelibly sealed into the wood by a stray cannonball. Tying together objects and venue is the heritage of the Lotzes themselves, whose lives forever were altered by the war.
#####Lotz House Museum’s COVID-19 Precautions
- The museum follows Tennessee’s state guidelines and restricts the number of groups
- All tour guides wear masks and all visitors are strongly encouraged to wear them as well
- The staff sanitizes common surfaces between the tours
- Revised hours are Monday–Saturday 10 a.m.–3 p.m.; the museum is temporarily closed on Sundays
- Note that state and local guidelines are changing regularly. Please check Lotz House Museum’s website or contact them for their latest guidelines.
Need To Know
About Lotz House Museum
J.T. Thompson gets pretty excited about his own little slice of American history. He serves as the executive director of the Lotz House Museum, a commemorative collection of memorabilia and actual damage from the Battle of Franklin, a Civil War conflict that raged on November 30, 1864. At his museum, the history hardly stays confined to display cases. Instead, it is in the very woodwork. "Today, visitors can still see the bloodstains on the floors from where cannonballs hitting the house came to rest," Mr. Thompson says, in the same breath as mentioning "what many in the antique world describe as the finest collection of American-made 1820-to-1860 antiques… in the Southeast!"
Perhaps more compelling than the gruesome imagery or literal relics of the era, however, is the story of the Lotz family themselves, a mother, father, and three children younger than 9. They survived the battle based on their wits, turning their home into a hospital in the wake of the conflict. While their house stands virtually unchanged to this day, their personal lives altered course in astounding ways, most noticeable in the well-documented journeys of the Lotz children.
During a two year archeological excavation in the Lotz House cellar more than 900 Civil War relics have been discovered. There are both Military and civilian items. The cellar tour will include a review of the excavation process, a first-hand look at the some of the relics uncovered and a description of the significance of the findings along with an interpretation of how it relates to a better understanding of the happenings inside the Lotz House following the historic battle.