Macon County Courthouse in Franklin, North Carolina

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County Information

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The North Carolina History Project lists the following information for this county:

A southern mountain county, Macon was named in honor of Senator and Speaker of the House, Nathaniel Macon. Macon County was formed in 1828 from Haywood, and communities within the region include Franklin, Highlands, Norton, Rainbow Springs, Nantahala, Ellijay, Cowee, and Scaly Mountain. Franklin has remained the county seat since 1855.

The Cherokee inhabited the early region of what is now present-day Macon County. However, with the rush of North Carolinians to the western section of the state, the Cherokee eventually relinquished their land to white settlers in 1819. Cowee, capital of the Middle Cherokees, is located in the county along with the Nikwasi Indian Mound in Franklin. William Bartram, an eighteenth-century explorer, referred to Cowee as "one of the most charming natural mountainous landscapes perhaps anywhere to be seen."

Meaning the "center of gravity" in Cherokee, Nikwasi was once an important Indian town, serving as a spiritual center for tribe members. However, the European settlers unfairly treated the Cherokee. In 1776, after years of bickering and riots in the western United States, General Griffith Rutherford led a North Carolina militia that decimated Nikwasi. The town of Franklin was established on what was the town of Nikwasi, and the Nikwasi Indian Mound, constructed around 1000 A.D., remains testament to the Cherokee who once lived in Macon County.

In May of 1776, Philadelphia-born William Bartram (1739-1823) traveled through Macon County and met the Cherokee chief Atakullakulla. Owner of the largest botanical garden in Great Britain, John Fothergill assigned Bartram, considered by many as the first American naturalist, in 1773 to traverse southeastern North Carolina in search of flora and fauna. In his recollection of his journey, Travels through North and South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida, Bartram recalled his meeting with Chief Atakullakulla, along with a detailed description of over forty Cherokee towns in the region. In the 1700s, the naturalist's Travels book proved a vital piece on the southeastern United States.

Macon County's greatest natural asset is possibly the Nantahala National Forest. The largest of North Carolina's four national forests, Nantahala encompasses nearly half the surface area of Macon County. Fishermen, whitewater rafters, and other outdoor enthusiasts visit the forest regularly to take advantage of the Nantahala River and the Nantahala Lake. Hikers frequent the hiking attraction of the Appalachian Trail. Substantial amounts of mineral and other precious stones have been discovered and mined in Macon County. Precious gems such as amethyst, rubies, garnets, sapphires, and moonstones continue to be found in Macon. Annual gem shows attract various mineralogists and gem enthusiasts to the region.

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Our Experience

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This courthouse seemed to be a modern building so that was a little bit of a let down. However the area around the courthouse was beautiful. The Franklin Garden Club has done a fantastic job. The courthouse is on a corner and the three opposite corners offer many places to sit and enjoy the day.

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Google Map Track Log

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Graham County Courthouse in Robbinsville, North Carolina		Cherokee County Courthouse in Murphy, North Carolina

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