ASHEVILLE, NC – Nikwasi (Nequasee) Indian Mound is one of some 50 ancient mounds found throughout the westernmost counties of North Carolina. The mounds are attributed to the Mississippian (800 C.E. – 1600 C.E.) and Woodland (500 B.C.E – 1000 C.E.) periods. Similar mounds can be found throughout the midwestern and southern states.
Nikwasi Mound is within the town of Franklin, North Carolina. It is not only in the town center physically but has also been at the center of a controversy over who should hold ownership and be responsible for maintenance. The exact history of Nikwasi Mound is unclear; but it appears on maps dating back as far 1544. It also appears in British colonial records in 1718.