1920 Map of White Plains

About this map

Meherrin River and the Roanoke River define the winding agricultural landscape of this border region between Virginia and North Carolina. Surveyed just after the Great War, the terrain is dotted with small-scale rural infrastructure, from Hicks Mill and Starks Mill to the Old Roanoke Mill downstream from Eatons Ferry. The settlement pattern reveals a highly localized social structure, evidenced by the numerous segregated community hubs such as Zion Union School No 1 and Zion Union School No 2, alongside dozens of country churches like Star Rock Church and St Pauls Chapel. Transportation in this era relied on a network of named crossings including Jones Low Bridge and Pennington Bridge, while the far southeastern corner shows the influence of the rail line at Vultare Sta. The map captures a moment before modern consolidation, where every crossroad like Gholsonville or Valentines maintained its own school and general store.