Franklin in Williamson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Restoring the Chestnut
Bringing Back the American Chestnut
In 1983 a dedicated group of scientists founded The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) with the mission of restoring the American chestnut to our eastern forests to benefit our environment, our wildlife, and our society.
Centered at our research farms in Meadowview, VA, the goal of TACF’s breeding program is to develop American Chestnut trees that are resistant to the chestnut blight and able to create a self-sustaining population that can continue to evolve in a natural forest environment. Additionally, in order to breed trees that are regionally adapted to the wide range of the chestnut, TACF state chapters have established over 300 chestnut breeding orchards from Maine to Georgia, containing more than 120,000 chestnut trees.
In 2009, TACF announced the first forest planting of our potentially blight-resistant chestnuts we call “Restoration Chestnut 1.0”. Today, planting, testing and evaluating these remarkable seeds continues, while additional breeding and development is underway to produce even more and blight-resistant chestnuts in the future. Much of this work, as well as the tending of breeding orchards is being done by some of the 6000 dedicated TACF members and volunteers in twenty states. These efforts are vital to the foundation’s activities.
Recent developments in the science of molecular genetics now offer the promise of accelerating our breeding process by allowing us to screen the genetic sequences of chestnuts, to see if they have the genetic composition desired by our scientists.
Although it will likely be several decades before large quantities of American chestnuts once again populate our eastern forests, the future is beginning to look much brighter for “The Mighty Giant”.
Erected by The American Chestnut Foundation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Horticulture & Forestry • Science & Medicine. A significant historical year for this entry is 1983.
Location. 35° 53.425′ N, 86° 52.747′ W. Marker is in Franklin, Tennessee, in Williamson County. Marker is on Columbia Pike (U.S. 31) 0.1 miles south of Hillview Lane, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1101 Hillview Lane, Franklin TN 37064, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Chestnut Blight (here, next to this marker); The American Chestnut (here, next to this marker); Protecting Our Historic Resources (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Samuel Winstead (1778-1851) (about 400 feet away); Welcome to Winstead Hill Park (about 400 feet away); Winstead Hill (about 600 feet away); Brigadier General Hiram B. Granbury (about 600 feet away); States Rights Gist (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Franklin.
Also see . . . The American Chestnut Foundation homepage. (Submitted on December 29, 2019, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 29, 2019. It was originally submitted on December 29, 2019, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 112 times since then and 5 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 29, 2019, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.