70 soldiers in United States Colored Troops from Franklin County to be honored with monument

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - Soldiers in the United States Colored Troops fought for their freedom in the American Civil War. 70 of them were born in Franklin County.

A bronze and granite monument will soon stand in Veterans’ Memorial Park as a way to share the untold history.

“We’re excited about how it will help spread that story that a lot of us weren’t familiar with until recently,” said Robert Wood, Town Manager of Rocky Mount.

The Town of Rocky Mount along with Franklin County’s National Association for the Advancement for Colored People (NAACP) branch are working together on this.

Wood says close to $300,000 was granted to the NAACP from Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia (MAAV). It’s expected to be built some time next year.

“We see it as something that has an educational component for everyone in the community, but even schools can have field trips and bring students here to learn more about that history,” explained Wood.

A listening session will be held Thursday, July 25 at the Harvester Performance Center in Rocky Mount from 5:30p-8:00p. The public will be able to chime in and give their thoughts on the design to the artist, while also learning more about the history of what the monument will represent.

RSVP for the event by July 17 here.