The Nikwasi Mound sets the stage to the entrance of downtown Franklin and stands as a firm reminder to the area’s ties to its Native American roots. And now, with a fortuitous opportunity of nearly 1.5 acres for sale adjacent to the east side of the property, Franklin may be able to move closer to its goal of a Nikwasi park at the base of the mound.

Landowners Bob Simpson and Gene Huscusson each own a parcel of land whose future is unknown. Simpson said he has potential development plans for his .96-acre and Huscusson said he has several buyers interested in purchasing his .77-acre parcel.

“This is too unique of an opportunity to not explore our options before it is turned over to private enterprise,” said Mayor Joe Collins on Wednesday. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the Macon County Historical Society, town representatives and the landowners gathered at Southwestern Community College on July 29 to discuss options for a potential park at this location.

Huscusson said that although there are other parties interested in purchasing the land, he would be happier if it belonged to the Cherokee.

“They should have it if it can be preserved. I think it should be that way; we deserve to do all that we can for them,” he said.

Bob Simpson recalled the land being in his family and developed back in the 1930s. He said as his father aged, a sense of place became increasingly important and he envisioned a park might be built on that land some day.

“I would be willing to donate a portion of the land sale back to the development of the area,” he said.

Vera Guise, Western Carolina University professor and founder of the nonprofit Appalachian Homestead and Farm Preservation recalled her own tales. She said she became interested in preservation when she started trying to reconstruct her mother’s farm and family lands.

“It took $250,000 for me to buy back half of what my mother sold for $300 and a cow,” she said. She spoke highly of the unique opportunity now present and cautioned this opportunity may not come again.

“Everything is on the table right now, because there has been no real commitment from anyone,” Collins said. The group needs to find some “upfront” money, 10 percent of the purchase price for each of the parcels. This would keep the land open for one year in a lease/option arrangement until parties can further flush out their plans and find other funding sources.

No one has officially appraised the parcels, so the amount needed is not yet known.

EBCI economic developer Mickey Duvall said he would bring the proposal before Chief Michelle Hicks on Monday for discussion.

Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Russell Townsend told of the mounds history and some of its Cherokee legend including that of the Spirit Warriors. In Cherokee tales, there was a time when the Middletown area was left unprotected as the men went off to war in another region. An invading tribe saw the weakness and planned an attack on Middletown. But when they arrived, Great Spirit Warriors rose from the mound and surrounded the village, protecting it from all intruders.

The mound dates somewhere between 1100 and 1400 A.D., Townsend said.

The Cherokee people were forced to leave Middletown, now that area of Franklin, in 1820 after a treaty was signed; this was about 20 years prior to the forced removal of Indians during the Trail of Tears. Many of the Middletown people relocated to Qualla town, the present-day location of the Cherokee reservation. Many of the people living on the reservation today, said Townsend, can trace their roots back to the Franklin area.

In 1946, a prominent town attorney worked with school children who raised the money to purchase the mound and preserve it as public land in perpetuity.

“Personally, I would like to see any development of that area be non-invasive and interpretation of the mound be done in conjunction with the Cherokee people,” Townsend said.

The area around the mound has largely been destroyed over the past 200 years, with development erasing most of the archeological impact of the site. However, the mound is well-preserved and would be an ideal setting for an educational opportunity to bring the history of the Cherokee back to downtown Franklin.

Collins suggested possibly a museum at the site, but that idea was tabled.

“It’s hard to make museums generate revenue,” said Mary Jane Ferguson, EBCI director of marketing. She said if a museum is added, ongoing expenses like staffing, utilities, maintenance and obtaining a collection would need to be considered.

“When I think of mounds associated with museums, I think of multiple mound sites, usually with ongoing archaeological work,” Townsend said. He suggested more of a town center and possibly an amphitheater where performers could come without the overhead of a museum. He said he saw an opportunity for interpretive markers mixed in possibly with art in a useable greenspace welcoming visitors into downtown Franklin.

“All these sites are about protecting where we’ve been and making sure future generation can connect to our past, because once it’s gone, you lose it,” Townsend said.

Duvall said that for Cherokee involvement, he would need to get all information gathered and presented to the tribe’s attorney general. From there it would be reviewed by the land acquisition committee and eventually go before the tribal council. This could happen as early as December, Duvall said. But there are some snags.

“Right now with the way things are going with the economy, our lands transaction committee has been frozen,” he said. “That’s not to say we couldn’t do some creative financing on it.”

Townsend added that around six to 12 proposals come before the committee annually from parties that want to partner with the EBCI in a heritage preservation project.

Slade Gleaton with the Trust for Public Land, an organization which helps with taking private lands and putting it into public hands, has been brought on board to help navigate through the potential agreements.

He said the key component to bringing this plan to fruition would be community support.

“[TPL] is not like a land trust. We don’t acquire easements and then hold on to them. We help bring land from the private sector into the public sector,” he said. “It sounds simple, but each land transaction definitely is its own dance.”

Collins said that — with all the recent development in Franklin, the addition of a performing arts center, the discussions of a heritage village – this town is poised to bring more tourism to the area.

“This town, this area is ready to go somewhere. This land, this property will be used for something. It’s too valuable not to,” he said.

He wants to ensure that movement is towards preservation.

“The town is ready to move on this,” he said.

The group decided it would need to meet again in three months, but a smaller group may meet more regularly in the interim. The next meeting has been tentatively scheduled for Sept. 2 at 2:30 p.m. in the Cecil Groves Boardroom at SCC.