2025 Cobb Landmarks Preservation Award – Fanny Williams Memorial – City of Smyrna

Great recognition by Cobb Landmarks for the Fanny Williams Memorial. Huge thanks to Derek Norton – Mayor, City of Smyrna, Council, City Stadd and our talented Committee. Check out the memorial next time you’re near downtown Smyrna Museum; Smyrna Arts & Cultural Council.

In the heart of Smyrna, a new monument honors a woman whose name has long been connected to both a painful past and a legacy of resilience, activism, and progress. The Fanny Williams statue, approved by the city’s Committee to Honor Fanny Williams, represents the culmination of years of advocacy to appropriately memorialize a figure who has often been overshadowed by history. As the namesake of the noted restaurant, Aunt Fanny’s Cabin, Williams’ story is complex, but her contributions to the community are undeniable. The decision to memorialize Williams, in front of Smyrna’s history museum, marks a new chapter for the city—one that seeks to acknowledge her for her civil rights activism and her work in opening Cobb County’s first Black hospital. Congratulations to the City of Smyrna.