2022 Map of Gates

About this map

The Virginia-North Carolina border cuts directly through this landscape, dividing the community of Somerton from southern hamlets like Reynoldson. The terrain is defined by an intricate network of wetlands, including Chapel Swamp and March Swamp, which historically dictated the placement of roads and small agricultural settlements. Genealogists will find significant value in the mapped churchyards and private burial grounds, such as the Gatling Family Cem near Savages Crossroads and the Reynoldson Baptist Church Cem. The map illustrates a rural settlement pattern where crossroads like Pittmantown and Factory Hill served as local hubs. Waterways like Somerton Creek and Mill Swamp drain the region, creating the wooded bottomlands that have long characterized this borderland area between Suffolk and Gates County.