In celebration of Black History Month, the Town of Holly Springs has launched a new mobile, interactive Black History Tour, giving residents a chance to peek through time. Users can enjoy stories, audio clips and photographs of the town’s rich history on their computers or while strolling down Grigsby Avenue on a walking tour — just be sure to enable the location features on the Google app or any browser other than Safari.
“The rich history of its Black community is an integral part of the story of Holly Springs,” says Mark Andrews, the town’s public information officer. “With its recently launched Black History Tour, the Town of Holly Springs seeks to ensure that the contributions of the community’s early Black leaders are preserved through historical accounts, vintage photographs and audio recordings of residents’ recollections.”
One of the many “stops” in the tour is Womble Park, where locals go to play sports and enjoy greenways, picnic shelters, playgrounds and more. Unbeknownst to many, the 46 acres we know as Womble Park would have been nothing but subdivisions had it not been for Parrish “Ham” Womble, who advocated for buying the tract to use as parkland during his nearly three decades of leadership. Other stops highlight lesser-known places in town, like the Pack-House and Blacksmith Shop, complete with maps, photographs and recollective audio recordings.
“Holly Springs values the diversity of our community,” says Mayor Sean Mayefskie. “It is important to take a step back and recognize the contributions of all of those who have helped make Holly Springs what it is today.”
Ready to travel back in time? Visit the tour at www.hollyspringsnc.gov/BlackHistoryTour.
