Franklin to erect statue honoring U.S. Colored Troops as part of Fuller Story
FRANKLIN — With the inscribed words "Freedom, Liberty, Equality," a statue of a U.S. Colored Troops soldier soon will be placed in the Public Square in Franklin after almost three years of planning as part of the Fuller Story initiative.
The Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved the installation of the 6-foot granite statue by a 7-0 vote.
Pastor Chris Williamson, co-founder of the Fuller Story, described the imagery the statue would depict while showing a small replica at the Tuesday meeting. Large boots would "speak of stability," he said, while the statue's large hands would show "strength of peace and of a soldier."
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Eric Jacobson, co-founder of the Fuller Story and CEO of the Battle of Franklin Trust, described three separate inscriptions that would be etched on the base of the statue.
The words on the front of the base facing Public Square would read "Freedom, Liberty, Equality," while the left side of the base facing Third Avenue would read "Union Forever," a common phrase from the time period, Jacobson said. Finally, on the right side of the base, facing The Mellow Mushroom, the inscription would read, "U.S. Colored Troops 1863-1865."
Lauren Ward, vice president of marketing and communications for Visit Franklin, expressed her support of the statue installation.
"From a tourism perspective, it's an important piece of the visitor experience," she said. "It makes Franklin more inclusive and welcoming for all."
Ward also said the initiative received positive feedback from travel writers and other cities wondering how they can embark on similar projects.
Dedication projected for spring
The group is planning for the dedication of the statue to align with Juneteenth next year, Jacobson said.
The statue will undergo various stages of the sculpting process before the final work is revealed.
The Fuller Story initiative was brought to life last fall as placards depicting the history of the Black experience in Franklin were installed around the Public Square. The African American historical markers were unveiled in October 2019, after the Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted unanimously to approve the project.
As part of the project, the statue will sit in front of the historic courthouse as a life-sized replica facing the Confederate statue in the center of the square.
Both the Franklin Arts Commission and the Historic Zoning Commission approved the project. During the summer, the Fuller Story group fulfilled fundraising efforts, garnering $150,000 for the artwork.
The City of Franklin and the Battle of Franklin Trust will devise an agreement for monument maintenance.
About the Fuller Story
Franklin aldermen agreed on a plan to place two African-American history markers in the downtown circle on the sidewalk near the Confederate monument.
The remaining three markers are now near the historic courthouse, and the U.S. Colored Troops statue will go there as well. The placards at that location talk about reconstruction, U.S. Colored Troops and the riot of 1867.
Markers at the center tell the story of the market house that sold slaves and explain the Battle of Franklin. They now stand on the concrete portion of downtown's center.
Emily West is a reporter for The Tennessean, covering Franklin and Williamson County. You can reach her on Twitter @emwest22 or email her at erwest@tennessean.com.