In a few morning hours on Wednesday, March 5, seven trees in downtown Franklin were cut down and removed as part of a plan to revitalize and make the area safer for pedestrians.
Crews from Young Tree Service cut down five trees surrounding the clock tower square and two more along East Main Street next to Rankin Square. The work was mostly done by 10 a.m. Young Tree Service is owned and operated by Commissioner Board Chair Josh Young. Interim County Manager Warren Cabe said Young donated his company’s services for the project.
The trees’ roots have pushed up the adjacent sidewalks, causing a tripping hazard.
“Change is always hard, but we are happy to announce that this is only phase one,” stated the Franklin Garden Club, who advocated for the clock tower project. “The next step will be removing the damaged sections of the sidewalk and garden paths, removing the roots and stumps, and replacing the bricks. The final step will be planting the new dogwood trees, shrubs and other landscaping. We’re excited to see it all come together in the next few months.”
Cutting down the trees comes as the county works on the squares and the clock tower. Crews from Carolina Builder Services of Franklin have worked on the clock tower since January. The scaffolding around the clock tower came down last week.
Digging up the stumps and roots will close sections of the sidewalk along East Main Street when it begins. Macon County and Town of Franklin staff will work together on the digging in the coming weeks. The hope is to have the new trees planted and sidewalks fixed by the end of April.
The Franklin Garden Club has worked with Winding Stair Farm and its new retail manager Greg Mason on the tree replacement.
The work comes after the project was discussed over several commissioner meetings in 2024, with the clock tower square called an eyesore due to the dilapidated tower. The clock on the tower, constructed in 1984, has the mechanisms from the original 1881 courthouse that was torn down in 1972 following the construction of the current courthouse.