Gribblenation

Lawrenceville serves as the seat of government and the agricultural and industrial hub of rural Brunswick County.  Though the home of the county courthouse since 1783, the Town of Lawrenceville did not form until 1814 and did not incorporate until 1874. The Albertis S. Harrison, Jr Courthouse opened in 1999. It is believed that the town's name came from a racehorse named Lawrence, who was owned by a wealthy landowner who had built a nearby racetrack in the late 1700s.  For most of the 1800s, Lawrenceville sat at the intersection of two stagecoach lines.  The town would later prosper when the Atlantic and Danville Railroad established its shops here.  Today, Downtown Lawrenceville is listed in the National Register of Historic Places It was in 1888 that a former slave, James Solomon Russell, established what would become known as Saint Paul's College.  The historically black institution was affiliated with the Episcopal Church and first focused on teaching and ag...

All along Interstate 95 in the South, there are interchanges where the services (food, gas, and lodging) haven't kept up with the times.  Some of these old comfort stops dated to before the Interstate or opened when the new highway came through.   The former Emporia Travel Center Long before Buc-ee's, small independent travel centers that mixed a gas station/truck stop, restaurant, and sometimes a motel lined the Interstate.  Just north of Emporia, a long-gone complex consisting of a truck stop, restaurant, and motel greeted travelers as they exited off I-95. In the late 1950s, Virginia built a US 301 bypass west of Emporia that would become Interstate 95.  When the road opened in 1959, a small restaurant sat where the newly opened bypass tied back into Highway 301 - today's Exit 12.  By 1968, a truck stop and motel had been built next to it. By early 2011, the Dixie Motel had long been overrun - its days were numbered.  The old motel was torn down a f...

For most of its length between Petersburg and Emporia, Virginia, a two-lane US 301 runs immediately parallel to the southbound lanes of Interstate 95.  While four lanes of traffic zip by at 70+ miles per hour, US 301 runs just off the shoulder at a slower speed.   Though much of this stretch of highway is through rural farmlands, there are leftover - often abandoned - relics from when a four-lane US 301 carried motorists south to the Atlantic Coast or back to their northeastern homes. The Jarratt Motel circa 1940s.  It was a classic-style motel. ( Digital Commonwealth - Massachusetts Collection Online ) A popular location for lodging was the tiny town of Jarratt, where at a minimum; three old-style motor courts were found along US 301 - the Jarratt, Colonial, and Resté.  Each of these motels had lodging, a pool, and a restaurant.  In the late 1950s, US 301 was widened to four lanes through the sleepy Southside Virginia town.  In the decades to come, al...

About 15 years ago, I was on an explore trip with my friend Joe .  We drove up US 1 in Virginia, turned east on VA 40, and then headed south back home to North Carolina via US 301.  Just before the town of McKenney, Virginia, was an old motel - complete with leftover signage to where it looked like it hadn't been long abandoned. A fire in late 2009 or 2010 - destroyed a wing of rooms at the former Wilmurt Motel. The property was condemned as a result. Also in the photo, the Economy Inn branding from the motel's later days. There was what appeared to have been a recent fire, which led to condemnation of the entire site. We grabbed some great photos - and for the most part, I had thought it was long torn down by now.  This great neon restaurant sign stood tall long after Wilmurt's restaurant closed.  As of this writing, I do not know when the restaurant part of the operation closed. However, when I recently went through the trip's photo album, I looked at Google Street...

If you are driving along Interstate 77 near the New River, you may have noticed a single stone tower atop the hillside to your east.  While modern Interstate traffic flies by, this over 200-year-old, 75-foot-tall stone tower was used in the early 19th century to provide ammunition for local settlers. The limestone tower, known as the Jackson's Ferry Shot Tower, is the centerpiece of Virginia's Shot Tower State Historical Park.  Built in 1807, the shot tower is a combination of a 75-foot tower and a 75-foot vertical shaft into the cliffs overlooking the Neuse River.  Lead shot was manufactured here for 32 years, from 1807 to 1839. The location of where a kettle full of cool water would catch the falling hot spheres of lead shot. To make the shot, lead from nearby mines was melted in a kettle at the top of the tower.  Then, it would be poured through a sieve, dropping 150 feet into a kettle full of cold water.  This process, and the size of the sieve, would create...

Situated along the banks of the James River in Botetourt County, Buchanan is considered "The Gateway to the Shenandoah Valley."  Home to roughly 1,200 residents, Buchanan is one of several small towns along US 11 throughout the valley. The town was established in 1811 and incorporated in 1832.  It is named after Colonel John Buchanan. Across the James, another community was founded, Pattonsburg. Pattonsburg was named after one of Buchanan's contemporaries, Colonel James Patton. Pattonsburg was settled first in 1788.  A century later, the two communities merged into the current-day town of Buchanan. The Buchanan Swing Bridge. Connecting the two communities over the James has always been a priority.  First connected by a toll covered bridge in 1851, Buchanan and the former Pattonsburg are now served by two bridges - a standard concrete highway bridge built in 1938 carrying US 11 and a unique pedestrian swing bridge. The Buchanan Swing Bridge Park - featuring the Bucha...

Alberta is a small town of about 300 people just off of US 1 in Brunswick County.  Easily overlooked by both Interstate 85 and US 1, Alberta was established in 1928. Alberta General Store Brunswick County is the birthplace of Brunswick Stew - a tomato-based stew featuring beans, vegetables, and meat.  And the Alberta General Store is one of the stops on the Brunswick Stew Tour .  The store makes their homemade "Unkol" Chuck's Brunswick Stew - which can also be purchased at the store or numerous Farmer's Markets within Southside Virginia. Though Alberta is a very quiet town, its downtown has several great old buildings and ghost signs. A former bank in Alberta All photos were taken by post author - January 3, 2009. Site Navigation: Return to Small Towns of Virginia Series Index Links: Alberta General Store How To Get There:

Though larger than many of the other towns featured thus far in this series, Franklin is still one of the numerous small towns within the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Franklin is also one of 38 " independent cities " within Virginia.  Territory within an independent city is not part of any county.  Franklin, though it is within Southampton County, is its own jurisdiction. The City of Franklin began in the 1830s thanks to the two popular steam modes of transportation of the era, railroads and boats.  Known then as Franklin Depot, the town grew thanks to its location on the Blackwater River as both railroads and steamboats had freight and passenger depots in the area.  A second major industry would develop in the area just prior to the Civil War.  In 1856, the first sawmill in the area opened.  The timber and pulp and paper business would be a mainstay in the Franklin economy well into the 21st century. Downtown Franklin has seen its ups and do...

The Ashby Inn makes Paris well known throughout Northern Virginia. Usually a town of 49 residents is forgotten when it is near one of the largest population centers of the United States.  But amid the rolling hills of Northern Virginia sits the tiny hamlet of Paris which for centuries has attracted many of our nation's leaders.  Originally called Pun'kinville, Paris is named in honor of the Marquis de LaFayette.  The village that sits in a hidden corner of the intersections of Routes 17 & 50 is home of the well-known Ashby Inn & Restaurant .  The 1829 inn has received numerous national reviews for its fine dining and lodging at its Bed & Breakfast. Paris sits in the middle of one of the largest fox hunt and steeplechasing regions in the nation.  The landscape is full of decades and centuries old farms that create one of the most lush landscapes in Virginia.  Sky Meadows State Park , which is two miles to the south on Route 17, is home to...

Over 70 years ago, two hurricanes drastically changed the terrain that surrounds the New Point Comfort Lighthouse.  These two storms - which hit less than one month apart - would isolate the storied New Point Comfort Lighthouse from the mainland by one half mile.  These 1933 hurricanes, along with similar storms, invasions, and other incidents before and after, have threatened or even severely damaged the lighthouse.  But for over 200 years, the beacon has stood watch over the Chesapeake Bay and has become a familiar friend to boaters, tourists, and residents alike.   At the end of the 18th century, the United States government had realized the importance of improving the navigation through the Chesapeake Bay to the numerous ports the bay's waters led to.  Beginning with the completion of the Port Henry lighthouse in 1792 (1), the government would commission a series of lighthouses with the goal of improving safety and navigation through the Chesa...

Quiet Store and Homefronts in Millwood Hidden away from the modern highway that carries routes 17 and 50 sits the small community of Millwood, a community that dates for over 200 years.  Millwood's lifeblood for numerous decades was the Burwell-Morgan Mill completed in 1785 by Colonel Nathaniel Burwell and Daniel Morgan.   The mill ran as a commercial operation until 1953.  The mill served as a merchant mill providing various milled goods to local residents. The mill is open to visitors Thursdays through Sundays from May to October.  Besides being a museum of the mill's past, the mill also serves as the location of artwork and art shows for local artisans.  This program is known as "Art at the Mill". The Burwell-Morgan Mill has recently been restored to 1780s conditions and machinery. Millwood is known for its many antique shops, bed-and-breakfast's, and general stores.  Many of the structures in Millwood are old frame houses with various sto...