Franklin is a town in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Pendleton County, West Virginia Pendleton County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,143, making it the second-least populous county in West Virginia. Its county seat is Franklin. The county was created by the ...

, United States. The population was 486 at the 2020 census. Franklin was established in 1794 and named for Francis Evick, an early settler.

History

The Town of Franklin is situated in the

Allegheny Mountains The Allegheny Mountain Range ( ) — also spelled Alleghany or Allegany, less formally the Alleghenies — is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada. Historically it represented a significant barr ...

on the eastern edge of the

Monongahela National Forest The Monongahela National Forest is a U.S. National Forest, national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, US. It protects over of federally managed land within a proclamation boundary that includes much of the Po ...

and along the

South Branch of the Potomac River The South Branch Potomac River has its headwaters in northwestern Highland County, Virginia, near Hightown along the eastern edge of the Allegheny Front. After a river distance of ,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-reso ...

. This region was populated by Native American cultures for centuries prior to the arrival of English immigrants in the mid-18th century. During the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

, conflict between the early settlers and Native American populations included two battles at frontier fortifications at Upper Tract and Fort Seybert in 1758, both ten miles distant from the future location of Franklin. The land on which Franklin was laid out was first patented by brothers Francis and George Evick in 1769. Pendleton County was divided from parts of Augusta, Hardy, and Rockingham Counties (Virginia) by an act of the

Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, and the first elected legislative assembly in the New World. It was established on July 30, ...

in 1787. The earliest court sessions in the new county were held at the home of Captain Zeruiah Stratton near the present-day village of

Ruddle Ruddle is an unincorporated community on the South Branch Potomac River located in Pendleton County, West Virginia, United States. Ruddle lies along U.S. Highway 220. According to the Geographic Names Information System The Geographic Nam ...

until Francis Evick offered a part of his land to become a county seat around 1789. Additional lots were divided off of Evick's land to form the new town. On December 19, 1794, the Virginia General Assembly chartered the town of Franklin and recognized it as the seat of Pendleton County. Franklin grew steadily over the first half of the 19th century, becoming a local center of commerce and industry. In 1834, there were two stores, two tanneries, three saddlers, two carpenters, two shoemakers, two blacksmiths, one gunsmith, one tailor, one hat-maker, and one cabinet-maker listed among the town's residents. At the outbreak of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

in 1861, Pendleton County voted to uphold Virginia's Ordinance of Secession, despite strong Union sympathies from many of its residents. Localized fighting occurred between northern and southern regiments throughout the war, but the only major battle to impact the Franklin area occurred in May 1862. Following the

First Battle of Kernstown The First Battle of Kernstown was fought on March 23, 1862, in Frederick County and Winchester, Virginia, the opening battle of Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's campaign through the Shenandoah Valley during the American ...

, Confederate Major General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson initiated his Valley Campaign to draw attention of the Union Army away from its

Peninsula Campaign The Peninsula campaign (also known as the Peninsular campaign) of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March to July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The oper ...

nearing the Confederate capitol at

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

. On May 8, 1862, Jackson clashed with Union regiments from West Virginia and Ohio under the command of Brigadier General Robert H. Milroy at the

Battle of McDowell The Battle of McDowell, also known as the Battle of Sitlington's Hill, was fought on May 8, 1862, near McDowell, Virginia, as part of Confederate States Army, Confederate Major General (CSA), Major General Stonewall Jackson's 1862 Jackson's Val ...

(some 30 miles from Franklin). After a day of fighting, the Union forces withdrew from the battle and began retreating towards Franklin, pursued by Jackson for nearly a week. The armies clashed briefly at McCoy's Mill (three miles south of Franklin, now a National Historic Site), but Jackson withdrew and returned to the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia in the United States. The Valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the east ...

to continue his campaign. Franklin did not grow significantly in the years following the American Civil War until the early twentieth century. In 1917, the town's boundaries were expanded, the streets were macadamized, and public water and electricity were brought into the town. However, tragedy struck on April 17, 1924, when a massive fire destroyed the entire business district and caused $500,000.00 (~$6.5 million adjusted for present inflation) in damages. Most of the town's center, its commercial district, and the Pendleton County Courthouse were constructed following the 1924 fire. Another disaster struck the town in 1985. The South Branch of the

Potomac River The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...

in Franklin crested at 22.6 feet during the 1985 Election day floods. Flood stage at the time in the shallow riverbed was only 7 feet.West Virginia Gazette: "Remembering the '85 floods" (D. White) November 4, 2010

Geography

Franklin is located at (38.647400, -79.331557). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , all land.

Climate

The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round.

Attractions

Aside from its historical sites, Franklin and Pendleton County are home to several recreational facilities. Franklin Gorge is a popular

rock climbing Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending climbing routes, routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in c ...

destination. Franklin is within short distance of several of West Virginia's most celebrated state and national parks, including

Seneca Rocks Seneca Rocks is a large cliff, crag and local landmark in Pendleton County, West Virginia, Pendleton County in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, United States. The south peak is the only peak inaccessible except by technical rock climbing ...

Spruce Knob Spruce Mountain, located in eastern West Virginia, is the highest ridge of the Allegheny Mountains. The whale-backed ridge extends for only from northeast to southwest, but several of its peaks exceed in elevation. The summit, Spruce Knob (), ...

, and

Smoke Hole Canyon Smoke Hole Canyon — traditionally called The Smoke Holes and later simply Smoke Hole — is a rugged long gorge carved by the South Branch Potomac River in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, United States. The area is rather is ...

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 721 people, 313 households, and 173 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 398 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.5%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.0%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.6% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population. There were 313 households, of which 18.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.7% were non-families. 40.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.68. The median age in the town was 55.5 years. 14.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16% were from 25 to 44; 28.4% were from 45 to 64; and 36.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 44.2% male and 55.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 797 people, 362 households, and 222 families living in the town. The

was 1,582.0 inhabitants per square mile (615.4/km²). There were 424 housing units at an average density of 841.6 per square mile (327.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.11%

, 2.01%

, 0.25% Native American, .13% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.38% of the population. There were 362 households, out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were

living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.80. In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 24.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $32,125, and the median income for a family was $40,500. Males had a median income of $23,839 versus $18,056 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $15,609. About 6.0% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 19.3% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Festivals

The most popular festivals in Franklin are the Treasure Mountain Festival, which takes place annually the third weekend in September, and the annual Trout Fest in May. Both attract visitors from surrounding counties and states.

Historic sites

Much of the town was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Franklin Historic District in 1986. * Bank of Franklin (1925) Situated at the center of Franklin's commercial district, the Bank of Franklin building was constructed following the fire of 1924 to house one of Franklin's two banking institutions. The new building, constructed of brick, was designed in Neoclassical style inspired by the Beaux-Arts movement. The bank was closed after the passage of the

Emergency Banking Act __NOTOC__ The Emergency Banking Relief Act (E.B.R.A.), (), was an act passed by the United States Congress in March 1933 in an attempt to stabilize the banking system. Bank holiday Beginning on February 14, 1933, Michigan, an industrial sta ...

in 1933, along with the other two banks in Pendleton County. * Dr. Preston Boggs House (1900) Located on North Main Street, the Dr. Preston Boggs House was constructed around 1900 in an elaborate interpretation of Queen Anne Style. The house features an octagonal turret positioned on its northeast corner and multiple bay window projections. A wraparound porch on the first floor is surmounted by a smaller porch on the second floor centered on the front facade of the house. Preston_Boggs_House_Franklin_West_Virginia

Preston_Boggs_House_Franklin_West_Virginia

* Ernest Bowman House (1900) Neighboring the Dr. Preston Boggs House, the Ernest Bowman House is situated at the corner of Main Street and Dogwood Drive. Erected around 1900, the Ernest Bowman House also displays Queen Anne Style with projecting bays and ornate porches. The south facade of the house features a unique second story porch positioned overtop a bay window on the first floor. * Franklin Presbyterian Church (1922) The Presbyterian Church at Franklin was organized August 19, 1866, near the village of Upper Tract. The congregation first moved to Franklin in 1876 and erected a church across the street from the present edifice (today the Walnut Street United Methodist Church). Construction of the present structure began in 1918 but was delayed due to an influenza outbreak and was still partially completed when the fire of 1924 destroyed Franklin's commercial district (though leaving the new church untouched). The congregation sold its old building to the county for use as a temporary courthouse in 1924 and occupied the present building, which was designed by Stanholpe Johnson of

Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an Independent city (United States)#Virginia, independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, Virg ...

. The Franklin Presbyterian Church is an example of

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

style.

Franklin_Presbyterian_Church_West_Virginia

* Franklin United Methodist Church (1881)

Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

in Pendleton County originated with the arrival of Rev. Ferdinand Lair in 1800. The congregation worshipped in Franklin's Union Church from 1809 until the construction of the present church in 1881, designed by H.H. Smally of

Lilly, Virginia Lilly is an unincorporated community located in Rockingham County, in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is located west of Harrisonburg, Virginia along Route 613, northeast of Clover Hill, near the edge of the George Washington National Forest ...

. Constructed of brick, Franklin United Methodist Church displays elements of

and

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style combined its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century It ...

design. * McCoy House (1848) Located on Main Street opposite the Pendleton County Courthouse, the McCoy House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. Built by slave labor in 1848, the house was constructed for William McCoy, who served at various times as deputy sheriff of Pendleton County, a justice of the county court, and represented Pendleton County in the state legislature. The McCoy House is a two-story, brick "

I-House The I-house is a vernacular architecture, vernacular house type, popular in the United States from the colonial period onward. The I-house was so named in the 1930s by Fred Kniffen, a cultural geographer at Louisiana State University who was a sp ...

" designed in

Greek Revival Style Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

with an Ionic portico. McCoy_House_in_Franklin_West_Virginia

* Johnson House and Drug Store (1878) Located on Main Street catty-corner to the present courthouse. The property housed the Johnson family until the 1980s who operated a drug store and lived on-site in the brick structure. Much like the neighboring McCoy house, this structure is a brick "I-House" in a more Victorian style. * Pendleton County Courthouse (1925) Franklin was the site of three courthouses prior to the present edifice. A log structure was built in 1788 by Thomas Collett, which served the county for 28 years until a brick courthouse was built in 1816–17. A third, larger courthouse was erected in 1889 by Franklin resident John Add Crigler, which was destroyed by the fire of 1924. The court convened in the old Presbyterian Church (today the Walnut Street United Methodist Church) until the present, fourth courthouse was completed in 1925. Designed by the Snyder Brothers of

Keyser, West Virginia Keyser () is a city in and the county seat of Mineral County, West Virginia, Mineral County, West Virginia. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,853 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

, the new courthouse cost $62,577.00 to erect. The Pendleton County Courthouse is an example of

Colonial Revival Style The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exposition, Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened A ...

. * The Ananias Pitsenbarger Farm was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 2011. The Priest Mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

Transportation

Transport to and from Franklin is primarily via two-lane rural mountain roads.

U.S. Route 33 U.S. Route 33 (US 33) is a United States Numbered Highway that runs northwest–southeast for from northern Indiana to Richmond, Virginia, passing through Ohio and West Virginia en route. Although most odd-numbered U.S. routes are north– ...

is the main east–west road through Franklin, while

U.S. Route 220 U.S. Route 220 (US 220) is a spur route of US 20. It runs in a north–south layout in the eastern United States, unlike its parent route as well as conventionally even-numbered highways, which run east-west. US 220 extends for ...

is the primary north–south highway traversing the town. Both roads run concurrently for a short segment on the north side of the town.

References

{{authority control * Towns in Pendleton County, West Virginia Towns in West Virginia County seats in West Virginia Populated places established in 1794 1794 establishments in Virginia