Franklin’s Women’s History Park receives state award

 

The Women's History Park in East Franklin and the Sowing the Seeds of the Future sculpture has received statewide recognition as a “Great Place for Public Art.”

The North Carolina chapter of the American Planning Association presents the “Great Places Across NC” awards. The annual awards range from public recreation parks, downtown redevelopment areas, comprehensive plans and public art. Franklin Town Planner Justin Setser nominated the “Sowing the Seeds of the Future” sculpture and the Women’s History Park for the public art award.

The Folk Heritage Association of Macon County (FHAMC) and the Women’s History Trail (WHT) donated the sculpture to the town and worked with the town on creating the Women’s History Park between the town bridges in East Franklin.

On Oct. 15, APANC presented the award to the Town of Franklin, recognizing the Women’s History Park as a “Great Place for Public Art in NC.” Franklin Mayor Jack Horton, Justin Setser, FHAMC / WHT representatives Marty Greeble and Mary Polanski, sculptor Wesley Wofford and wife Odyssey received the award at the 2025 APANC & APASC Joint Conference in Charlotte.

During the presentation, a brief acceptance video introduced the park and sculpture by sharing pictures of the site along with this narrative: “The Women’s History Park, nestled in East Franklin by the Little Tennessee River, is a tribute to honor women. Stone hardscaping crafted into benches surrounds the bronze plaques that tell these women’s stories. Overlooking the banks of the river and standing as a gateway into Franklin, the park is home to “Sowing the Seeds of the Future.” This historic monument created by Academy Award winning sculptor Wesley Wofford, was gifted as public art to the town by the Folk Heritage Association of Macon County. It serves as the trailhead for the Women’s History Trail, a designated walking path celebrating women, a dream of the late community leader, Barbara McRae.”

Following the award presentations, Wofford shared more information about the sculpture while Greeble discussed the origins of the Women’s History Trail projects. Setser fielded questions about the town’s involvement and collaboration with FHAMC / WHT to create the Women’s History Park, a place where we can learn more about our history, appreciate outdoor spaces, and spend time relaxing in a beautiful spot by the river.

The Women’s History Trail opened in 2018 in downtown Franklin and connects 20 diverse, industrious women from all walks of life all. Additional trail plaques continue to be identified and added. FHAMC commissioned Wofford to create the sculpture in late 2018. The “Sowing the Seeds of the Future” represents the interconnected lives of Na-ka Rebecca Morris (a Cherokee woman), Harriet Timoxena Siler Sloan (a pioneer woman), and Salley (an enslaved woman). These three women were linked by a specific piece of property that was on the Little Tennessee River across from the Noquisiyi (Nikwasi) Mound.

FHAMC was able to fully fund and complete the sculpture through a six-year fundraising campaign that included grant funding, individual, business and governmental donations along with funds bequeathed from McRae’s estate. FHAMC then turned its attention toward helping the town create a pocket park, which would become the home for the sculpture and serve as the trailhead for the Women’s History Trail.

FHAMC donated the sculpture to the town as public art. The town provided the site for the park – a full circle back to a specific piece of property on the Little Tennessee River that connected the women in the statue. FHAMC oversaw the design and creation working alongside the Town of Franklin to establish the park. The sculpture and the new Women’s History Park was dedicated March 23, 2024. The park now serves as the trailhead for the Women’s History Trail.

On June 26, 2025, FHAMC, with support from Clark & Co. Landscape Services and labor provided by LBJ Job Corps students, created a native plant garden with more than 100 native plantings.

A gateway into the town of Franklin, the Women’s History Park stands with Mainspring Conservation Trust’s artistic silos, the Greenway’s orchard/butterfly garden, and nearby Nikwasi Mound to help develop a hub of cultural growth for this river area in East Franklin.