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50-480: Latitude: 36.967359 Longitude: -80.095595 Geographic Name Information System GNIS ID: 1494484 The school site was selected because at that time the state school system had no method of public transport. There was a need for a school in the area with few roads and little transport, and the school system could not afford to operate another school outside of the local one in Callaway, about four miles away. The school building

100-627: A building from 1916). Ryland Goode also established a car dealership for Dodges and Hudsons that year. The building for the International Harvester dealership dates from 1946; the John Deere dealership (built 1940) has been adapted for use as the county's Developmental Center. New industries continued to be established before World War II. Around 1940 Sealtest established a dairy bottling plant and Exchange Milling opened an animal feed processing plant. The Art Deco-style People's National Bank

150-586: A day when needed as both a brakeman and yard clerk. In 1884, he was promoted to night yard clerk, and in 1887 he was promoted to yardmaster of the Radford, Virginia Division of the railroad, and for the Pocahontas Division until 1890. He was made train master of the Pocahontas Division, and the supervisor of the Clinch Valley Line . Within a few years, he was promoted to superintendent, then vice-president of

200-469: A mission school, of course, but the center will be a beehive of activity and learning for youth this summer as annual camps get under way. (Boothe, Charles. “The Phoebe Needles Center”, Franklin News-Posr. June 2, 2012. Although the school was closed, the church parish continued, with the school building was used for a variety of purposes. It has been used for years as a retreat for priests and congregations in

250-487: A newspaper/printing office. The oldest dwelling is "Mount Pleasant", built overlooking the courthouse in 1829 for Caleb Tate (the court clerk for nearly 40 years, from 1797-1835). Its detached brick kitchen, built circa 1820, is the oldest building in town. The Rocky Mount Turnpike Company incorporated in 1846 and a bank was founded shortly afterward, but neither prospered. During the Civil War, numerous planter families from

300-470: A retreat to plan for the future of the county at the Phoebe Needles." Puppeteers Mimi Buyler and Jim Tucker taught a puppetry workshop at Phoebe Needles in 2004. “"It's great to teach the joy of puppetry to adults and kids," Tucker said. Puppetry, he explained, has its roots in religion. It was used in the past to relate Bible stories to those who were illiterate or didn't have access to the printed text. "In

350-441: A school district and in 1924 built a high school for white students. By 1940 the town's white students had 16 teachers. Only seven black American teachers "struggled with the problems of their race in their own schools." Around that time, a foundation was established to mark Booker T. Washington's birthplace. In 1952 it donated 6 acres of land on which to build a modern, four-room school for black students. That opened shortly before

400-512: A short illness, he died unexpectedly of heart problems in 1936. Although a Quaker, he funeral was observed at St. John's Episcopal Church in Roanoke. Afterwards, a special train carried his body to Baltimore for interment at the family lots at Green Mount Cemetery . Rocky Mount, Virginia Rocky Mount is a town in and the county seat of Franklin County , Virginia , United States. The town

450-475: A total area of 6.9 square miles (17.8 km ), of which 0.03 square miles (0.07 km ), or 0.39%, is water. The Pigg River , an east-flowing tributary of the Roanoke River , forms the southern border of the town. The 1,934-foot (589 m) summit of Grassy Hill is in the northern part of town. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to

500-582: A tourist information center. The Booker T. Washington National Monument , Evergreen-Callaway-Deyerle House , The Farm , Greer House , Rocky Mount Historic District , Washington Iron Furnace , and Woods-Meade House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Rocky Mount is located at the center of Franklin County at 36°59′59″N 79°53′23″W  /  36.99972°N 79.88972°W  / 36.99972; -79.88972 (36.999855, −79.889673). U.S. Route 220 passes through

550-555: A way, puppetry is going back to its original role," Tucker said, referring to the subject of the upcoming workshop. Arthur C. Needles Arthur Chase Needles (January 10, 1867, in Baltimore, Maryland – October 26, 1936, in Roanoke, Virginia ) was the president of the Norfolk and Western Railroad . He was president of the railroad that had 20,000 employees across the nation, and guided

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600-636: Is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area , and had a population of 4,903 as of the 2020 census . It is located in the Roanoke Region of Virginia. Robert Hill built a block house (fortified residence and trading post) in the 1740s, for trading with Native Americans. English settlers did not arrive until 1760. They named Rocky Mount for a steep cliff near the town. The area originally consisted of two adjacent villages, Rocky Mount and Mount Pleasant. Washington Iron Furnace

650-670: Is roughly halfway between Roanoke and Martinsville, Virginia , which likewise developed furniture manufacturing and textile industries early in the 20th century. The present Franklin County courthouse was constructed in 1909 (two years after the Norfolk and Western freight and passenger station). It was modeled on the Roanoke County courthouse in Salem, Virginia . The town's growth was reflected in construction of new churches. Trinity Episcopal Church and its Rectory were both built in 1874 and survived

700-630: The Franklin and Pittsylvania Railroad connected Rocky Mount to Danville and Lynchburg via Pittsylvania County, Virginia . Most of the buildings in town burned in a destructive fire in 1889. Another railroad was constructed through town about 1892, and stimulated industrial and commercial development. The railroad (known as the Norfolk and Western Railway) was nicknamed the "Pumpkin Vine" because of its route between Roanoke, Virginia and Winston-Salem, North Carolina . Canadawas y Mills (a gristmill and box factory)

750-526: The Hampton Institute , established in eastern Virginia for the education of blacks. The area's major cash crop both before and after the Civil War was tobacco . In 1873, Rocky Mount incorporated as a town and absorbed the smaller village of Mount Pleasant, establishing its present boundaries. Former court clerk Robert Scott was elected as the first mayor. Rocky Mount's population was about 400 people in 1870, 600 in 1897, and about 1100 in 1920. In 1880,

800-545: The Köppen Climate Classification system, Rocky Mount has a humid subtropical climate , abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. As of the census of 2020, there were 4,903 people and 2,063 households residing in the town. There were 2,307 housing units. The racial makeup of the town was 72.4% White, 20.3% Black, 0.2% American Indian, 1.4% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 2.0% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.6% of

850-564: The St. Phoebe's Mission , in honor of his daughter, who died as a child. For the last sixteen years of his life he virtually supported the mission, although he was himself of the Quaker faith." In 1928 he married Hortense Edith Clarke of New York. Needles began work at age 16 in 1882 as a rodman with the Washington, Ohio and Western Railroad . Joining the Norfolk and Western in 1883, he worked sixteen hours

900-584: The Tidewater region sought refuge in Rocky Mount. Many brought numerous black American slaves with them, in part trying to ensure they did not escape to Union forces. Among these were the immediate past governor, Henry A. Wise , who settled his family here from his plantation on the Elizabeth River before he started serving as a Confederate general. Jubal Anderson Early , who became a Confederate general during

950-676: The 1889 fire. The church was moved back from Main Street in 1906. The African Methodist Episcopal Church , built before the fire, no longer exists. The Presbyterian Church (built by 1880) reopened shortly after the fire. The Methodists rebuilt their church of brick; they replace Scott Memorial Church again in 1925. The Baptist Church (colored) built in 1907 was later deconsecrated and became a business. The Bethel AME church, built before World War I, continues to be in active use. A Coca-Cola bottling plant opened in town circa 1920. The area's oldest car dealership (Chevrolet) dates from 1926 (although housed in

1000-455: The Mountains, Callaway, VA , (girls-boys) Diocesan, est. 1907. Grades: Elementary. Principal, Miss Mary Louise Wood; Chaplain, Rev. Allen Person. The Living Church Annual and Churchman’s Almanac. A Church Cyclopedia and Almanac. Milwaukee: Morehouse-Gorham Company. 1928. Page 105. When the school closed in 1943, Miss Alberta Booth was an assistant to the missionary in charge, and Miss Mary Louise,

1050-548: The Norfolk and Western Railway. It is known as the Phoebe Needles Memorial School. The average enrollment is from 100 to 150. The buildings consist of two large native stone structure, one is the church and the other the school building. The object of the school is to prepare girls of the mountains for worthy home life." A report on the mission school was complimentary in 1928: "Southwestern Virginia- St. Phoebe’s Hall (Phoebe Needles Memorial School), St. Peter’s in

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1100-687: The President Franklin D. Roosevelt administration built the United States Post Office in 1936, during the Great Depression. The county jail was built in the Art Moderne style in 1938, also a depression project. Investment in infrastructure was increased by the federal government. The town applied for funds to upgrade its sewer system. The New Deal project with most effects may have been work on U.S. Route 220 and state route 40 near

1150-612: The Shenandoah Division. During World War I, the federal government took over the control of the railroads, and he was made the Federal Manager under the United States Railroad Administration from June 1, 1918, to March 1, 1920, when the railroads were returned to private ownership. Arthur C. Needles was the president of the Norfolk and Western railroad from 1924 to 1936. As president he worked to increase

1200-707: The company successfully through the opening years of the Great Depression . Needles was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and attended preparatory school at Swarthmore College . He was married in 1899 to Bessie Parker Williams of Baltimore. They had a son, John Oliver Needles. Bessie Needles died in 1923. His only daughter, Phoebe Augusta Needles (1906–1913), died at the age of 6 from meningitis . "He became interested through an Episcopal minister to underprivileged children in Franklin County, Virginia , and established there

1250-560: The county in the war's final days. In 1867, the Freedmen's Bureau under William F. DeKnight opened a Sunday school in Rocky Mount; about a third of the residents were black American freedmen. No day school was established for freedmen's children until much later. Booker Taliaferro Washington was born enslaved in Franklin County. After the war, his mother moved with him to the free state of West Virginia for his education. He later studied at

1300-411: The diocese, as well as for special meetings and activities. "In 1917, Arthur Needles, then president of the Norfolk & Western Railway, donated the money to build Phoebe Needles Hall. It was named in memory of his 6-year-old daughter who died from meningitis. The building has served as a school, an Episcopal mission, and more recently as a summer camp and conference center." The Emmanuel mission church

1350-480: The east side of town as a limited-access bypass, leading north 23 miles (37 km) to Roanoke and south 26 miles (42 km) to Martinsville . Virginia State Route 40 passes through the center of Rocky Mount as Pell Avenue and Franklin Street, leading east 32 miles (51 km) to Gretna and southwest 10 miles (16 km) to Ferrum . According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has

1400-576: The mission, although he was himself of the Quaker faith." "Caryetta Davis (known as Miss Etta), the daughter of an Episcopal priest, taught at the school for thirty years. Miss Etta was widely known and respected throughout the community. There were many other teachers who are well remembered for their substantial contributions to the people of this community: Agatha Saunders, Mamie Montgomery, M. Baker, Susie Saunders, Mary Saunders, Louisa Wood, Betty Clenearly, Nell Strayer Roberts, Alberta Booth, Octavia Ulma and Agatha Walker Pennybacker." Evidently Etta Davis

1450-568: The other the school building. The object of the school is to prepare girls of the mountains for worthy home life. Wingfield, Marshall. Franklin County, a History . Reprint, 2009, Genealogical Printing Company. Page 89. Located near Floyd County, Virginia and Henry County, Virginia , the 85 acres of grounds and the facilities of the church have been used for a wide number of parish and public outreach services, from government planning sessions to puppetry workshops and congregational meetings. "The supervisors of Franklin County, VA, spent several days at

1500-419: The population. The median income for a household in the town was $ 46,021 and the median income for a family was $ 56,250. As of the census of 2000, there were 4,066 people, 1,698 households, and 1,018 families residing in the town. The population density was 886.5 people per square mile (342.0/km ). There were 1,796 housing units at an average density of 391.6 per square mile (151.1/km ). The racial makeup of

1550-732: The safety of the railroad, both for employees and the public. He accepted the E. H. Harriman Award for railroad safety in 1926. He was responsible for turning many of the tracks into double tracks to promote both safety and efficiency. He also increased electrical transport of many of the coal trains operated by the company. He was also the president of the Pocahontas Coal and Coke Company , and director of: Winston-Salem Southbound Railway Company ; Norfolk and Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad ; Fruit Growers Express Company ; Mutual Fire, Marine and Inland Insurance Company ; First National Exchange ; Bank of Roanoke ; Norfolk Terminal Authority . After

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1600-554: The start of Massive Resistance to school desegregation in Virginia. It was operated until 1966, when the U.S. Supreme Court found subsidies for segregated schools (much used by the county's white schoolchildren) to be unconstitutional. This structure has been adapted for use as an administrative building of the National Park Service . Rocky Mount's brick Municipal Building was built in 1929. The Works Progress Administration of

1650-517: The top of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and about 20 miles from Rocky Mount, Virginia . This school was founded in 1906 by the Rev. William T. Roberts and endowed by Arthur C. Needles, then president of the Norfolk and Western Railway. It is known as the Phoebe Needles Memorial School. The average enrollment is from 100 to 150. The buildings consist of two large native stone structure, one is the church and

1700-564: The town on which to build the courthouse. The first was made of logs. Rocky Mount was assigned a post office in 1795. The town was divided into lots in 1804. Jeremiah's son John Early represented the county (part-time) in the Virginia House of Delegates and served as sheriff. He operated a plantation nearby. The courthouse was replaced in 1831. By 1836 the iron furnace employed 100 people. The town had about 275 residents; it had 30 houses and several businesses, including three grocery stores and

1750-554: The town was 74.50% White, 22.26% African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.11% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.67% of the population. There were 1,698 households, out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.7% had someone living alone who

1800-469: The town's historic architecture, both residential and commercial, dates from the first decades of the 20th century. Only the Lodge Rooms (Colored), built in 1900, remains of the former thriving black American community on West Court Street. The furniture and textile workers needed housing, and contractors also built more elaborate (including Victorian-style) dwellings for managers and professionals. Rocky Mount

1850-420: The town. The WPA and prominent local businessman N. V. Angle drained a swamp and developed the land for Mary Elizabeth Park, named for Angle's wife. It is now maintained by the local Presbyterian church (although Angle was a Methodist). Before World War II, Rocky Mount's industries included a silk mill and a door and sash window factory, in addition to Angle's furniture company. The library, constructed in 1940,

1900-468: The war, was born on a plantation nearby. Before the war, he served one term representing Franklin County in the Virginia House of Delegates and more than a decade as Commonwealth's attorney (prosecutor). After the war, he resumed his legal practice here and in Lynchburg, Virginia . His office building in Rocky Mount was demolished in 1937. One of the oldest buildings constructed in that era that still survives

1950-449: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.87. In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.4% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 23.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.1 males. The median income for

2000-425: Was built between 1915 and 1917, that was built of stone from local quarries. This construction was almost entirely financed by Arthur C. Needles , who was at the time president of the Norfolk and Western Railroad , in honor of his daughter, Phoebe. Phoebe Needles had recently died at the age of six due to meningitis. The school provided for students in grades one through seven. Originally devised for mountain girls, it

2050-462: Was built by James Callaway and Jeremiah Early; its site was on what is now Main Street. It was operated by Callaway's heirs and Peter Saunders until 1850, when it was damaged by a flood. Repairs and rebuilding were stopped by the breakout of Civil War . The first court session was held at Rocky Mount in 1786 following the Revolutionary War . It was held in Callaway's home until he deeded land to

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2100-491: Was built for Dr. Thomas Greer in 1861. Despite this, there are two older buildings constructed between 1850-1854, which are both still used as law offices to this day. The town's clerk, Robert A. Scott, issued scrip to assist families of Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. The Confederate government requisitioned slaves from various planters in the county to work on Richmond's defenses. Rocky Mount had no battles, although Union Gen. George Stoneman and troops passed through

2150-621: Was built in 1898. Nathanial V. Angle, a former schoolteacher who became an entrepreneur, built the Bald Knob furniture factory in 1903. (It became the Lane Furniture Company in 1957 and is known as the MW Manufacturing Company in the 21st century). By World War I, N.V. Angle owned a furniture and grocery stores, a lumberyard, tobacco house, agricultural implement store, and the area's first Ford automobile dealership. Much of

2200-403: Was built in 1928. Public schools were segregated, and those for black students were underfunded. In 1915, Rocky Mount appropriated $ 2,200 to build an eight-room brick school for white students, complete with central heating and indoor plumbing. The same year black residents built Rocky Mount Colored School and dormitory, at their own expense, on Bald Knob outside the town limits. The town became

2250-425: Was constructed in 1907 along with a small wooden church,Emmanuel Church. Commencing with the first semester, Miss Caryetta "Etta" Davis took charge of the school as the missionary-in-charge. She would serve for over 30 years at the school. Originally it had forty students, and quarters were also constructed for the teachers on site. In 1913, a terrible snow storm destroyed both the school and the church. A new facility

2300-480: Was later opened to both boys and girls. The only daughter of Arthur and Bessie Needles, Phoebe Augusta Needles (1906-1913), died at the age of 6 from meningitis . "He became interested through an Episcopal minister to underprivileged children in Franklin County, Virginia , and established there the St. Phoebe's Mission, in honor of his daughter, who died as a child. For the last sixteen years of his life he virtually supported

2350-401: Was one of ten funded by an anonymous donor in rural Virginia counties in that era. It now serves as an administration building. The county's administration building, built in 1967, is along the same street and is named for Virgil Goode Sr. , former Virginia House delegate and Commonwealth's attorney. In 1990, local residents saved the former Norfolk and Western station. It has been redeveloped as

2400-493: Was originally constructed of wood, and was destroyed in a snow storm in 1914. The mission church was placed about 20 miles from Rocky Mount, Virginia The Rev. William T. Roberts was the minister at the mission and school. When the original wooden church was destroyed, it was re-built and re-consecrated as St. Peters-on-the-Mountain. As the church and Episcopal mission school, it is located in the Western portion of Franklin County, near

2450-408: Was the missionary in charge at St. Peter’s in the Mountains. In 2017, the mission school and church celebrated its 100th anniversary. “More than 100 years ago, a mission school for children who lived in the remote mountains of Franklin County was formed. It was one of many mission schools in the county at the time, and the only one left that is still in operation. The Phoebe Needles Center is no longer

2500-523: Was well beloved by the students. She had at least one child of one of her students named after her. "Etta Helm was named for Etta Davis, who a teacher at the Phoebe Needles Mission School. Etta is not a traditional Helms name." From the original forty students, the school grew to have an average of between 100 and 150 students per semester. "This school was founded in 1906 by the Rev. W. T. Roberts and endowed by A. C Needles, then president of

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