1944 Map of Smithfield

About this map

Pagan River tidewaters frame the historic town of Smithfield, shown here as it transitioned through the mid-1940s. The landscape is defined by its characteristic Tidewater drainage, where numerous swamps like Comet Swamp and Rattlesnake Swamp feed into larger creeks and ponds. Evidence of changing transportation and communication is clear, with an Old Railroad Grade cutting through the western portion of the county and an early Underground Telephone line crossing the center. The map reveals a deeply rooted rural community, marked by a high density of country churches such as Pentecostal Ch, Bethlehem Ch, and Bethel Ch. Local education is anchored by the Isle of Wight Sch and Trinity Sch, while small crossroads like Central Hill and Magnet served as focal points for the surrounding agricultural tracts and timbered lands of the Ross Pocosin.