Editor’s Note: In the last few months of 2019 City of Murfreesboro officials rekindled a discussion to extend two roadways in the Medical Center Parkway area, Wilkinson Pike and Conference Center Boulevard. City Engineers claim this plan could alleviate some of the traffic congestion in the busy area, and allow better access to a nearby home development planned for the nearby corner of Asbury Lane and Asbury Road.

However, the plan would effectively quarter the farmland property known as The Grove at Williamson Place.

While officials say the road extensions would offer the property a “better front door and much better access,” as the Murfreesboro development services executive director put it, property owners Mark Williamson and Toni Williamson Turner are not as enthusiastic about the plan for new roadways to encroach upon their land and for a busy road intersection to sit in the midst of their farmland.

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It’s no secret that Murfreesboro is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. The luxuries that affords, as well as the afflictions it imposes, are all part of the growing pains that come with such a title. However, being such a quickly growing city has blindsided the town in some areas that were ill-prepared. 

In addition to lethargic planning and execution of necessary infrastructure, which has led to more traffic and delays, there are other equally pressing considerations. 

The Grove at Williamson Place is a 200-plus-acre tract of land that is located directly across from The Avenue shopping center on Medical Center Parkway. It is a nice retreat maintained by the original owners’ children, who have worked hard to continue their parents’ legacy.

While some families are familiar with The Grove through its strawberry patches or sunflower fields, others know it through a host of other events held at this lovely local pastoral getaway, including weddings, corn mazes, festivals, craft shows, picnics, private parties, prom gatherings and songwriter’s retreats. The farm also hosts a variety of philanthropic events benefitting local organizations and charities.

The family and its history in the community dates back almost 70 years. In the early 1950s, Bascom Williamson purchased the land that The Grove currently occupies, and he established himself as a pillar of the community, running a family-operated dairy farm. He was well-known for his ingenuity and integrity, and he did his best to not only develop a sense of community, but also to emphasize the importance of it to his children. 

Indeed, his two children, Mark Williamson and Toni Williamson Turner, exude a warmth and humanity fitting of their parents’ legacy.

Having recently had an opportunity to sit down and speak with Mark, Toni, Kristal Rowlett (The Grove’s operational manager) and John Mark (Mark’s son), I was able to discuss the eminent domain plans that the City of Murfreesboro is currently considering, and how the construction of a roadway through the property might affect the local family farm if those plans were to proceed.

“It would take our parents’ legacy, and it would destroy it,” Mark said. And this is the focus of the rest of our conversation. 

In a world where many would “take the money and run,” Mark and his family have opted for the ideology that communities aren’t only comprised of buildings and commerce, but rather, that community is centered around people and nature, and being involved in the lives of your neighbors in a tangible and meaningful way.

While it’s obvious from the location of the plot of land that it would be monetarily advantageous to just sell the property, the Williamsons see it in a different light, through the lens of their parents. They see the land and wildlife and all the farm has to offer to their neighbors and community. They see it as an opportunity for a quiet respite, a small reprieve from the bustle of the city. They see it as something sacred and worth protecting.

It is reminiscent of Central Park and its relaxing presence in New York City. That piece of land was similarly met with resistance, and the city still managed to preserve its small piece of green in the concrete jungle. 

According to an article by Barbara Speed, New York City once found itself in a similar situation to Murfreesboro, quickly spilling out of its former parameters. In an effort to learn from its own predecessors, realizing that Europeans had seen the wisdom in preserving its own parkland as cities had been built up, the affluent New Yorkers who supported the land respite preservation idea lobbied in favor of it and rallied the support of the mayor, who agreed to create a local park.

Wedding at The Grove

As that article states, there was another side to the story. Ironically, the very same plot of land that Central Park currently occupies was once home to what a plaque now refers to as a “unique community,” but in her article, Barbara Speed clarifies it “may well have been ‘Manhattan’s first prominent community of African-American property owners.’” 

As it turns out, eminent domain was exercised without due consideration of the impact on the community or the possible historical significance of the site, and as a result, the city was robbed of a now irretrievable piece of history that could have made a profound difference in the preservation of the heritage of early African-American settlement.

As John Mark poignantly noted during our interview, it’s not as though The Grove land isn’t being used. On the contrary, it enriches our community in very tangible ways, with intangible ripples that can be witnessed in the photographs of children in strawberry fields, brides in white under pecan trees and young adults enjoying nature together.

Additionally, there are other considerations. The land is home to the second largest pecan tree in the county, according to Mark’s understanding. There is a lot of history on that plot of land. 

Mark asks, “What did our parents teach us? There is health; there is vitality; there is a need to have that respite, that place to go to be able to walk, and relax and decompress.”

“I just have great memories of growing up as a child, following my dad around everywhere on the farm,” Toni mentions “getting stuck trying to climb into the loft, needing help to get up or down in my trek to follow my dad.”

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For more information on The Grove at Williamson Place, visit thegroveatwilliamsonplace.com or email thegroveatwilliamsonplace@gmail.com.

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For questions or comments on the issue, contact information for Murfreesboro City Council members can be found at murfreesborotn.gov/496/city-council.

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