A proposal to bring a memorial statue honoring Cherokee heritage to Rome’s Ridge Ferry Park received unanimous support from a city committee and will now move forward to the full Rome City Commission for consideration.
Doug Walker, accompanied by Jan Ferguson, appeared on behalf of the Rome Rotary Club to present the proposal for the privately funded memorial. The proposed statue would commemorate the Cherokee heritage of the Rome area and would be developed in partnership with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Walker explained that the project was inspired by a presentation to the Rome Rotary Club by Dr. Brian Allen of Appalachian State University. The presentation referenced an 1837 letter from General John E. Wool to the Cherokee Nation, which helped spark the idea for the memorial.
The Rotary Club estimates the total project cost at approximately $125,000, including site work. Walker reported that the club has already raised approximately $33,000, with another $10,400 in pledges.
The project would be entirely privately funded. According to the proposal, the Rotary Club is not seeking financial assistance from the City of Rome or Floyd County. Instead, the club is asking the city for permission to place the memorial on city-owned property.
The proposed location is in Ridge Ferry Park near the boundary with the Chieftains Museum property. The statue would be placed in the area of the existing gravel overflow parking lot and would require approximately 50 feet in diameter.
The Rome Rotary Club would also assume responsibility for ongoing maintenance of the statue and the surrounding area.
During discussion, committee members asked questions about access to the proposed site, potential grant-writing assistance and design concepts being considered for the memorial.
Following the discussion, the committee recommended approval of the Rotary Club’s request to locate the memorial at the proposed Ridge Ferry Park site.
The recommendation is limited to approving the location and does not represent a commitment of city funding.
Commissioner Robinson made a motion to allow the Rome Rotary Club to locate the Cherokee Memorial Statue on city property at the proposed site in Ridge Ferry Park near the Chieftains Museum. Commissioner Fisher seconded the motion.
The motion was unanimously approved.
The proposal will now be forwarded to the full Rome City Commission fo
