Small Towns of Virginia Series: Lawrenceville

Lawrenceville serves as the seat of government and the agricultural and industrial hub of rural Brunswick County. Though the home of the county courthouse since 1783, the Town of Lawrenceville did not form until 1814 and did not incorporate until 1874.

The Albertis S. Harrison, Jr Courthouse opened in 1999.

It is believed that the town's name came from a racehorse named Lawrence, who was owned by a wealthy landowner who had built a nearby racetrack in the late 1700s. For most of the 1800s, Lawrenceville sat at the intersection of two stagecoach lines. The town would later prosper when the Atlantic and Danville Railroad established its shops here. Today, Downtown Lawrenceville is listed in the National Register of Historic Places

It was in 1888 that a former slave, James Solomon Russell, established what would become known as Saint Paul's College. The historically black institution was affiliated with the Episcopal Church and first focused on teaching and agricultural and industrial careers. By the 1940s, the school began offering four-year degrees and grew to include the liberal arts. Unfortunately, the school closed in 2013, and nearly all of the former 183-acre campus sits abandoned.

A trip to Lawrenceville or Brunswick County would not be complete without some Brunswick Stew. The tomato-based stew that includes beans, vegetables like corn and okra, and typically chicken or even rabbit is a way of life here. The Taste of Brunswick Festival - held every October - has a Brunswick Stew cookoff plus other traditional festival activities.

Site Navigation:

Return to the Small Towns of Virginia Series Index

Sources & Links:

How To Get There:

Comments

Bleriot Ferry - Alberta

Alberta operates six ferries scattered throughout the province. Roughly twenty to twenty-five kilometers up the Red Deer River from the town of Drumheller is one of the most scenic ferry crossings in all of Wild Rose Country, the Bleriot Ferry. Using the North Dinosaur Trail (Alberta Highway 838, or AB 838), the Bleriot Ferry provides a scenic river cruise of sorts in the Canadian Badlands. The Bleriot Ferry started operating in 1913 as the Munson Ferry when a few bridges crossed the Red Deer River. The ferry was started by Andre Bleriot, the brother of famed early aviator Louis Bleriot, who became famous for being the first person to fly over the English Channel. At the time, the Alberta provincial government commissioned local residents to run the ferries. There were several ferries along the Red Deer River, and not only did they serve as vital transportation links, but they also served as local social hubs, since everyone had to take the ferries to go places. Over time, as the...

The Pollasky Bridge

The Pollasky Bridge near modern day Friant is a ruined highway bridge which was completed during early 1906 as part of the Fresno-Fresno Flats Road. The structure is one of the oldest known arch concrete spans to have been constructed in California. The bridge briefly carried California State Route 41 following the destruction of the Lanes Bridge in 1940. The Pollasky Bridge itself was destroyed by flooding during 1951, but the ruins can still be found on the Madera County side of the San Joaquin River. Pictured as the blog cover is the Pollasky Bridge as it was featured in the 1913 book "The Concrete Bridge." The structure can be seen crossing the San Joaquin River near Friant below on the 1922 United States Geological Survey Map. Part 1; the history of the Pollasky Bridge The Pollasky Bridge site is near modern day Friant of Fresno County. The community of Friant was established as Converse Ferry during 1852 on the San Joaquin Rive...

I-73/I-74 and NC Future Interstates Year in Review 2024

Welcome to another annual review of progress in constructing North Carolina's New and Future Interstate routes. While 2024 was not too exciting, with no new segments of major routes opening, there was 1 new interstate signing, another proposed new interstate route, and the near opening of a new segment for 2 routes. As tradition, I will start off with a review of what happened with I-73 and I-74 and then move on to the major news of the year about the other new and future routes. Work continued on the I-73/I-74 Rockingham Bypass through the year. The last few months have been hoping for news of its opening before 2025, without luck. Signs of its near completion included the placement of new signs, many with interstate shields uncovered, along the Bypass and intersecting roadways. For example, these went up along US 74 East: Overhead signage at Business 74 exit which contains the future ramp to I-73 North/I-74 West. Signage was also updated heading west on US 74 approaching the unop...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog