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Macon County Historical Museum

The Macon County Historical Museum
36 West Main Street
Franklin


The Macon County Historical Society was formed in 1946 by a group of Macon County residents. The Historical Society purchased the Pendergrass Building in 1988. Visitors to the museum will see Civil War artifacts, hand-crafted rifles, hand-made quilts, tools, farm implements and many documents and photos that are part of Franklin's history.

Museum Hours

November - April

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday

1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday

May - October

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday - Friday

1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday

Other hours available by appointment

by K.R.

Confederate Statue

The Statue at Rankin Square in downtown Franklin was erected in memory of The Sons of Macon County who served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, 1861-1865.

Confederate veterans, led by Major N.D. Rankin, came together in November 1903 and formed the Macon County Monument Association. The veterans worked together to honor their Civil War brothers.

The monument was unveiled in 1909. It weighs 35,000 pounds and is made of 26 Italian marble stones measuring 25 feet high with a 6 foot statue of a soldier on top.

by M. D.

Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum at the Old Jail

The Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum
25 Phillips Street
Franklin, North Carolina
http://www.fgmm.org/

The Gem Museum is housed in Franklin's old jail.
Admission is free- donations support the museum.

Open May - October

Monday-Friday 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Saturday 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Visitors to the museum will get a look at the original jail cell known as "the slammer". Gem and mineral displays feature the North Carolina room of rocks and minerals, an Australian Opal, Indian artifacts and the fossil room. The fluorescent room houses a special collection of rocks that glow with rainbow quality light. The greatest gem of them all is a 2 1/4 pound ruby.

by V. M.

Historic Rickman Store

The store was originally built by John Hall in 1895. W.H. Bryson sold the store to Mr. Rickman in 1925. For nearly 70 years, Tom Rickman operated his store in the Cowee Community offering groceries, cloth, hardware products and other dry goods to his customers.

Currently, this historic building is owned by the Land Trust for Little Tennessee Preserves.

To see the store, visitors should follow Hwy. 28 north of Franklin to Cowee Creek Road turning right at Cowee Creek and driving just past the Cowee Baptist Church. The store is on the right side of the road.

by D.M.

The Greenway

The Greenway
The Greenway at the Little Tennessee River is the results of local people coming together with Duke Power to restore the river and reduce erosion while establishing natural areas along the river. Duke Power Company owns the land and made it available for Friends of the Greenway (FROGS) to develop trails and park like settings for visitors to enjoy. In addition to Big Bear Park there is Suli Marsh, Morris Trace, and Old Airport Trail running along the river.

Friends of the Greenway operate FROG Quarters at 573 East Main Street in Franklin. Stop by for information, picnic shelter reservations or grab a cup of coffee or a smoothie while you're there. Local arts and crafts plus free Internet access are available.

by A.R.Y.

The Clock Tower

The Clock Tower

The Clock Tower was part of the orginal Macon County Courthouse Tower. It was built at its current site by The LBJ Conservation Center and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture working together with the U.S. Forest Service Department of Labor in 1985.

The Renaissance Carillon System was given by the Harry Neal Family. It is in memory of Bobbie B. Neal and his wife and mother. They wanted this bell music to bring comfort to other people who have lost love ones.

The Franklin Garden Club plants the flowers around the tower and the waterfall.

by L.A.W.