Historic Map - Franklin, VA - 1907

Birds eye view of Franklin, Southampton Co., Virginia 1907. Drawn and published by T. M. Fowler.

Reproduction bird's-eye view map of Franklin, Virginia, published by T. M. Fowler in 1907. Beginning as a railroad stop along the Blackwater River in the 1830s, Franklin was the site of what the Civil War battle that became known as the "Joint Expedition Against Franklin", in 1862. Led by the USS Commodore Perry, several Union Navy steamships sailed up the Blackwater River, attempting to pass through Franklin, where they were met with a band of local Confederates who opened fire on the ships, resulting in the Union Navy's retreat.

This map captures the town as it appeared following a twenty year boom in growth, due to the industrialization efforts made by the Camp Family, a family whose legacy is still significant in the town. In 1887, a local sawmill that had been in operation for several years along the Blackwater River, was taken over by six brothers in the Camp Family. Under the leadership of Paul Douglas Camp, the mill prospered and became the major employer for Franklin. Eventually, the company merged with Union Bag and Paper Company, forming the Union Camp, which remained in Franklin until 1999.

This map from 1907 shows buildings, clearly labeled street names and railway route. Detailed illustrations are featured across the upper and lower margins of the following important sites:

• Baptist Church
• Protestant Episcopal Church
• "Tidewater News", Southampton's Live Newspaper
• Public School
• W. T. Page, Wholesale & Retail Hardware Store
• Christian Church
• Methodist Church
• W. J. M. Holland, Furniture & Undertaking
• Parker Buggy Corporation