Boyle Unveils Asbury: On Franklin's Historic Harlin Farm

What is Asbury in Franklin, TN?

Asbury is Boyle Investment Co.'s new community on the historic 311-acre Harlin dairy farm in south Franklin. The plan calls for 249 homes, a mix of single-family houses, brownstones, and condos around a town square, an 80-room boutique inn, and specialty shops. Nearly two-thirds of the property, more than 200 of the 311 acres, will stay as preserved open space. Boyle calls it an icon for south Franklin. Construction starts early 2027. Boyle's project site has the full plan and site history.

A Working Farm

The ground below Winstead Hill has been farmed since Ezekiel Polk, grandfather of President James K. Polk, acquired it by land grant in the 1820s. Tom Harlin bought it in the 1960s to run a dairy, eventually milking more than 400 Holsteins on three shifts a day. Tanker trucks ran the milk out to Purity Dairy in Nashville, then came back filled with orange juice for the return trip. The dairy shut down 20 years ago. A small cemetery on the north edge still holds some of the families who worked this land before the Harlins ever arrived.

That is the history Boyle is building on top of, and it explains the branding. Boyle calls the project "joyful living," describing the intent as a slower pace of life, with trails through the preserved acreage, gathering spaces, and homes set far enough apart to actually spread out on.

What "Missing Middle" Actually Means Here

The city is pushing new development toward its Village Green standard, one of three conservation-based design concepts in Envision Franklin, the city's official land use plan adopted in 2024. Franklin is known for large single-family lots on one end and, in the Cool Springs area, dense apartment product on the other. The middle ground seems limited. Asbury's plan pairs a walkable hamlet, smaller single-family homes, brownstones, and condo flats, with separate 2 to 8-acre country lots on the edges. That mix, smaller-footprint homes next to real land, is what planners mean by "missing middle."

The Roads Around It

Mack Hatcher Parkway is the reason a project like this can work here at all. It functions like a European ring road, pulling through-traffic off Columbia Avenue and Main Street, and it moves that traffic well because nothing opens directly onto it, no driveways, no shopping centers. One segment remains to close the loop.

Boyle has committed to funding improvements at Henpeck Lane and Coleman Road, and at Mack Hatcher and Columbia Avenue. That corner has needed relief for a while.

Boyle Investment Co.

Boyle Investment Co., which is headquartered in Memphis, is one of the region’s most influential developers. Boyle’s local portfolio includes Meridian Cool Springs, a pioneering project that set a precedent for development in the Nashville suburb as the first to offer office, retail, restaurants and hotel space in one walkable campus. The firm is also known for its McEwen Northside development in Cool Springs and Capitol View development in downtown Nashville.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Asbury located in Franklin, TN?

On Hillview Lane below Winstead Hill facing south from Franklin, on the former Harlin family dairy farm.

What is planned for Asbury?

249 homes, a town square, an 80-room boutique inn, commercial space, and more than 200 acres of preserved open space. 

When does construction start?

Early 2027.

What road improvements come with the project?

Boyle has committed to funding intersection upgrades at Henpeck Lane and Coleman Road, plus improvements at Mack Hatcher and Columbia Avenue.

Let's Talk

If you're watching developments in south Franklin or thinking through what growth here means for your next move, let's talk. Call or text 615-337-3660.

Bill Diebenow | Compass | 615-337-3660