"How-deeeeee! I’m just so proud to be here!” There is only one woman associated with that famous greeting, Minnie Pearl. What if we told you America’s beloved Minnie Pearl’s mother, Fannie House Colley, started out at 1051 W. Main Street in Franklin?
Minnie's maternal grandparents, William and Ophelia House, lived in the stunning 1873 Queen Anne Victorian beauty after they got married. William was a prominent lawyer in Franklin for twenty-five years. The couple was popular in social, professional, and religious circles. Ophelia was a well-educated and accomplished pianist. They had eight children, including Sarah’s mother, Fannie.
For the past thirty years, this historic home has been occupied by Dr. John and Barbara Faccia. Originally from Italy, Dr. Faccia and Barbara, who is Canadian, enjoyed raising their two daughters here, along with their dog, Annie, and parrot, Elliot Nest. They have recently made the decision to sell the home.
From Minnie Pearl: An Autobiography, Sarah described her parent's hometown, "Franklin was a sophisticated, social little town, and still is. It was settled around 1799, much earlier than Centerville, which made it very different. The lifestyle in Franklin is steeped in old Southern tradition, lovely homes, and gracious living. Aristocracy is more important than money, though the latter certainly isn't shunned. Daddy always said Mama was 'the belle of Franklin and she never quit ringing'."
In 1947, Sarah married a local Franklin boy, Henry Cannon. Henry came from a prominent Franklin family and spent part of his childhood and young adult life at Wyatt Hall, one of the oldest homes off Franklin Road built around 1805 and across from Harlinsdale Farm. He attended Battle Ground Academy. Henry was the great grandson of John B. McEwen, the Mayor of Franklin during the Civil War. He had a twin sister, Alice, and a younger sister, Jennie.
Henry was a pilot in the Pacific Ocean during WWII, and later owned an air charter service. He flew for Eddy Arnold, Hank Williams, Webb Pierce, and Elvis Presley, just to name a few. Henry later became Sarah’s manager and her pilot.
“They were devoted to each other and had a very unique and powerful love story,” says Nashville attorney Dudley West, nephew of Henry Cannon. Sarah, aka Minnie Pearl would go on to have a 50-year career as a comedian on the Grand Ole Opry and spent over 20 years on the television show "Hee Haw."
1051 W. Main Street is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as are the homes along West Main
Street and Fair Street from 7th to 11th Avenues.This 1873 historic beauty known as “Oaklawn” has 5,937 sq. ft. of living space with four large bedrooms and four and half bathrooms. The exterior of the two-story home has a fabulous turret (tower) and asymmetrical L-shaped front porch which was typical of Queen Anne design.
There are six incredible working fireplaces in the home with original mantels including a carved stone mantel in the library.
As you enter the foyer, you can see the original brass chandelier that’s almost 150 years old. The walnut staircase has the original newel post. Some of the other beautiful features include a gracious staircase, glass doorknobs, original hardwood floors, doors and windows.
At one point, an addition was made to the back of the home to add additional floor space and connect the back staircase inside the new den area. Part of the hardwood floors were replaced a century ago with wood from a 19th century casket factory in Mississippi. A good portion of the front of the house has the original floors.
The Victorian-style curtains are period and the lace drags on the floor. It was said that back inthe day, the more material you used on your curtains, the wealthier you were! Most of the antiques in the home are from the Victorian era. The transom windows above the doors allowed for air flow before air conditioning was invented.
A unique feature that was added when the kitchen was remodelled is the brick arched wall over the stove. These were brick pavers from Vanderbilt University, and reused in the home to make the kitchen more rustic and homey.
The home sits on a 1.16 acre lot in the heart of historic downtown Franklin. There is even a glass-enclosed Florida room with a patio and fountains in the rear and plenty of room for a pool or tennis court.