Discover 9 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Franklin (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Wayah Bald, Nikwasi, and The Gem & Mineral Society and Museum - Franklin. Also, be sure to include First Presbyterian Church in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Franklin (North Carolina).
Table of Contents
Wayah Bald
Wayah Bald is a high-altitude treeless open area in Nantahala National Forest, near Franklin, North Carolina. The Wayah Bald Observation Tower is located at the area's highest point; the stone observation tower was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1937 for fire detection. The Appalachian Trail and Bartram Trail cross at Wayah Bald.
Wayah Bald is a popular destination for hikers, especially during spring, when the rhododendron and azaleas are in bloom.[1]
Nikwasi
Nikwasi comes from the Cherokee word for "star", Noquisi, and is the site of the Cherokee town which is first found in colonial records in the early 18th century, but is much older. The town covered about 100 acres on the floodplain of the Little Tennessee River. Franklin, North Carolina, was later developed by European Americans around this site.
Today, a platform mound, estimated to have been built about 1000 CE, is the only extant feature left of the Cherokee town. The mound site and a small area has been owned and preserved by Franklin since 1946. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 as "Nequasee."
The federally recognized Eastern Band of Cherokee, which is based at Qualla Boundary, has been working to re-acquire its traditional lands and sacred mounds in this region. In 2019 the town of Franklin transferred the deed for Nikwasi mound to the Nikwasi Initiative, a non-profit set up by the EBCI, as part of this effort.[2]
The Gem & Mineral Society and Museum - Franklin
Specialty museum, Museum
Address: 25 Phillips St, 28734-3029 Franklin
First Presbyterian Church
Presbyterian church in Franklin, North Carolina. First Presbyterian Church, formerly the Franklin Presbyterian Church, is a historic church in Franklin, North Carolina, United States.
It was built in 1856 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Restoration, including construction of new interior walls and updated electrical wiring, was undertaken in 1993.[3]
Saint Agnes Episcopal Church
Episcopal church in Franklin, North Carolina. Saint Agnes Episcopal Church is a historic building located in Franklin, North Carolina, United States. It is a Chapel of All Saints Episcopal Church. From 1888 until 2014 St. Agnes was its own Episcopal Parish but in November of that year it officially merged with St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church to form an entirely new parish: All Saints Episcopal Church. All Saints is one congregation making use of two buildings: St. Agnes Chapel and St. Cyprian's Chapel. They use their website and Facebook to publish their worship schedule and keep parishioners and visitors up to date on where worship will be each Sunday.
The Chapel is an historic redbrick Gothic Revival Episcopal church building located at 66 Church Street in Franklin, Macon County, North Carolina. Built in 1888, it was designed by architect William Gould Bulgin. The Rev. John A. Deal, the first Episcopal missioner in Macon County, was responsible for founding Saint Agnes as well as Incarnation in Highlands. On June 4, 1987, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.[4]
Pendergrass Building
Museum in Franklin, North Carolina. The Pendergrass Building is a historic commercial building at 6 West Main Street in Franklin, North Carolina. The two-story brick building was built in 1904, and is a virtually unaltered example of retail construction of the period. It was used as a retail store until 1975.
The building is now home to the Macon County Historical Society and Museum.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.[5]
Franklin Terrace Hotel
Hotel. The Franklin Terrace Hotel is a historic hotel at 67 Harrison Avenue in Franklin, North Carolina. The two story stuccoed-brick building was built in 1888, originally to serve as a girls boarding school. In 1902 it began serving as a local public school, and in 1915 it was converted into a tourist hotel. The building is T-shaped, with a three-bay central pavilion projecting from the main rectangular block. A two-story wooden porch wraps around this central pavilion, with massive square posts and a solid weatherboard balustrade.
The hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[6]
Jesse R. Siler House
The Jesse R. Siler House is a historic house at 115 West Main Street in Franklin, North Carolina. It is prominently sited at the base of the hill on which most of the city is located. A two-story log structure was built on this site c. 1819, and expanded between 1820 and 1830 by Jesse Siler, a prominent early settler of the area. It was modified significantly over the 19th century, most notably receiving a prominent Greek Revival tetrastyle portico. It retains many interior features from Siler's period of modification, exhibiting transitional Georgian-Federal styling in its mantels.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[7]
Albert Swain Bryson House
The Albert Swain Bryson House, known locally as Hall of the Pines, is a historic house in Franklin, North Carolina. The 2+1⁄2-story brick and frame house occupies a prominent site on Pine Lane overlooking Main Street. It was built in the 1870s for Albert Swain Bryson, a prominent local farmer and magistrate. The house is a regionally rare example of vernacular Gothic and Italianate style, with steeply-pitched gables decorated with paired brackets, and a two-level porch with delicate sawn balustrade.
The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[8]