The charm of Leiper’s Fork is a special one, reminiscent of bygone years; a place of beautiful country landscapes and small town community that is hard to find these days, especially so close to a major city. That’s why it is so important for resident Aubrey Preston to preserve its history.
“To me, it’s the greatest place on planet Earth,” says Preston of Leiper’s Fork. “It’s beautiful, quiet, loud, creative, collaborative, inspiring, healing, educational, sustainable, and so much more. Leiper’s Fork, as we know it today, exists only because a small group of dedicated people decided how they wanted to live and very intentionally created the place of their dreams. Then we opened it to the public.”
Preston is not only a preservationist, but he’s also the owner of one of the pillars of the Leiper’s Fork community, restaurant and music venue Fox & Locke. An East Tennessee native, Preston moved out to Colorado for a while before the Volunteer State called
him home and he fell in love with Leiper’s Fork and the area’s history.
“It was a great experience,” he says of living in Colorado. “But when our kids showed up in the early ‘90s, everything in me said we needed to get back to Tennessee. I’m such a believer in Tennessee. When we visited Leiper’s Fork, it reminded me of East Tennessee and home.”
His love of the community led him to preserve and revitalize the history of one of its most iconic haunts, Fox & Locke.
Established as the Fox & Locke General Store in 1947 by the owners from which it gets its name, Jack Fox and Martin Locke, it was purchased at an auction in 1960 by the Puckett family who had other stores in Triune and Eagleville. Known then as Puckett’s General Store, it was purchased in the late ‘90s by Andy Marshall, who expanded it to several other locations in Middle Tennessee and began offering live music in 2002. It changed hands again in the late 2000s and eventually in 2021, Preston felt called to purchase the business. He restored its original name in 2022.
“Preservation and music are on the short list of what inspires me and keeps me fired up,” he says.“Protecting the authenticity and creativity at the center of Leiper’s Fork was very important to me. The property sits in a national historic district and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Authenticity of place is important to our village. Changing the name back to the original is about respecting the history.”
Fox & Locke is a staple of the area, known for good food and even better music. With their full bar and extensive menu, including a classic meat and three full of Southern favorites, their entrees include offerings such as catfish, fried chicken, and pulled pork paired with sides like fried okra, collard greens, and mac n’ cheese. Best completed with their “cobbler of the day,” they offer an incredible dose of home cooking for locals and visitors alike.
In addition to being known for its food, the venue has become a haven for songwriters of all ages to hone their craft and cut their teeth performing. “Fox & Locke is the heart of this community, but the reach is way beyond our little village,” says Preston. “It’s one of the most important small venues in Nashville, which makes it among the most important small venues in the world. Thursday’s Open Mic night is considered by many up-and-coming musicians as the unofficial gateway to Music City. We’re grateful to be a platform like that, to assist in the development of young artists, encouraging them, and providing a way for them to connect to industry professionals who can help them build their careers.”
Keeping history alive and preserving it for the next generation—whether that history is present in the land, music, or community of an area—has always been important for Preston. Not only has he helped to keep Fox & Locke around for future generations, he’s also had a hand in helping protecting and breathing new life into many very notable landmarks including RCA Studio A, the Leiper’s Fork village area, Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, The Franklin Theatre, and other historic downtown Franklin buildings.
“Historic preservation is not always about a building,” he says. Nearly a decade ago, he had a hand in creating the non-profit Americana Music Triangle to help preserve historical communities across Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana that produced some of the world’s most popular music. He’s also a foundational part of The Land Trust for Tennessee, established by Governor Phil Bredesen.
“It was pretty humbling and rewarding to be the first to put our farms in The Land Trust for Tennessee and begin the movement to permanently protect Leiper’s Fork from overdevelopment and commercial exploitation. The Land Trust for Tennessee protects 137,000 acres through more than 460 conservation projects across Tennessee and just over the line in Kentucky: that includes farms, forests, public parks, historic landscapes, including more than 600 miles of land along rivers and streams. We protect the vast majority of conserved private land in Tennessee.”
Like many others in the community, Leiper’s Fork and Fox & Locke will always hold a special place in Preston’s heart. “It’s a lot of things to a lot of people - a top tier music venue, family-friendly restaurant, hipster hangout, and historical attraction,” he says of Fox & Locke. “My friend and fellow Forker, the late Bruce Hunt, would always say ‘Leiper’s Fork will make a better person out of you.’ That starts at Fox and Locke.” FoxAndLocke.com
"Leiper's Fork is beautiful, quiet, loud, creative, collaborative, inspiring, healing, educational, sustainable, and so much more."