German immigrant Albert Lotz and his family were surprised at their home on Columbia Pike (US 31) on the morning of November 30, 1864, to find thousands of Federal troops marching in front of their house heading north toward Nashville, Tennessee, but unable to proceed across the swollen Harpeth River.

Confederate troops attacked with 20,000 men at that point and the Union soldiers manned defensive fortifications on a line across the Lotz and adjacent Carter property.

Over the next 100 years, the house had many owners and gradually deteriorated until the Heritage Society of Franklin and Williamson Counties purchased it in 1974 to save it from demolition.

Thompson speculated that this narrow area was too rocky for farming saying, "Carter was willing to sell the unproductive real estate to Lotz and pocket the extra cash".

In early 1864, the Union Army, expecting a Confederate attack at some point, began to mobilize large numbers of soldiers in the general area of the Carter and Lotz houses.

In their preparations, Union soldiers created defensive fortifications, and cut down every tree they could to prevent Confederate sniping and were said to have poisoned much of the water supply.

The Lotz twins, Julius and Julia, went out to play at a nearby stream and were found dead, believed to have been killed by poison in the water according to available letters and diaries.

[2] On the day of the battle, the Lotz family was at first surprised to see a seemingly endless line of troops and supply wagons going in front of their house.

Lotz continued woodworking and his daughter Matilda, an avid artist since young childhood, began to expand her talents and specialized in painting portraits of animals.

After his life was threatened, he abruptly sold the house and contents at a financial loss and the family left the area in a covered wagon to travel west across Indian country to settle in San Jose, California.

He contacted David Lotz (the great, great-grandson of the patriarch), who was interested in genealogy had much information about the family, including the proper pronunciation of the name.

Its close proximity to the Carter House, the Franklin Battlefield and Carnton Plantation makes it a popular destination for tourists.

Matilda completed a six-year study at the San Francisco School of Design graduating summa cum laude and winning several medals for her work.

[10] The Lotz House was one of the haunted locations that was showcased on Most Terrifying Places in America (special episode 6) which premiered in 2010 on the Travel Channel.