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1927 Map of Martinsville

Name: 1927 Topographic Map of Martinsville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1947
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1947

About this map

Smith River and the branching tracks of the Norfolk and Western and Danville and Western railroads anchor this study of Henry County during the mid-1920s. The industrial development at Fieldale and the regional hub of Martinsville contrast with the dense network of rural infrastructure found throughout the surrounding hills. This landscape is remarkably saturated with neighborhood institutions, from the Rough and Ready Mill on Smith River to dozens of community schools such as Lenier Farm School and Leatherwood School.

South toward the border with North Carolina, the terrain becomes increasingly defined by family-named landmarks and traditional crossings like Anglins Bridge and Egglestone Ford. The map records a transition in transportation, showing established routes like the Stuart Road alongside rail-side stops like Ballast Siding. This detailed survey offers genealogists and local historians a precise look at the placement of vanished landmarks like the County Farm and the Rangeley Store before modern highway expansion altered the rural character of the Piedmont.