Franklin, Virginia

Franklin is the southwesternmost independent city in Hampton Roads, Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,180. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Franklin with Southampton County for statistical purposes.

History

The city of Franklin had its beginnings in the 1830s as a railroad stop along the Blackwater River. During this era, the river was used to transport goods to and from Albemarle Sound in North Carolina.

Civil War

In 1862, the Civil War came to Franklin in what was referred to as the Joint Expedition against Franklin. As several U.S. Navy flag steamships, led by the USS Commodore Perry, tried to pass through Franklin on the Blackwater River, a band of local Confederates opened fire on the ships. As stated by an officer aboard one of the ships, "The fighting was the same— Here and there high banks with dense foliage, a narrow and very crooked stream, with the frequent heavy firing of musketry." During the battle, five were killed in action and sixteen were wounded. As the naval vessels retreated, the Confederates tried to block the narrow Blackwater River by felling large trees across it. In the end, the Confederate attempts failed, as no soldiers were captured and no ships were lost.

thumb|A historic sign in downtown Franklin with information on the [[American Civil War|Civil War and Union Camp]]

Industrialization and the Camp family

It was not until 1887 that Franklin began to see significant growth. Six brothers from the Camp family, with local roots, took possession of a local sawmill. The sawmill was small and had been operating for several years alongside the Blackwater River. At the end of this period, after a bout with near-bankruptcy, World War I brought the Camp family back to financial success, bringing along with it the city of Franklin. By 1918, "Tiny Franklin had become a booming wartime village..." Isle of Wight County is to the north and east, and Southampton County, is to the north, west, and south.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Franklin has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

The Blackwater River, running along the eastern boundary of the city, played an important role in the industrialization of the city but has not been immune to problems plaguing rivers, most notably flooding. In 1999, in the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd, downtown Franklin was submerged under as much as of water as the Blackwater River swelled to a historic crest of . The resultant flooding caused the submersion of 182 business and 150 homes, located primarily in downtown. When the hurricane name "Floyd" was retired in 2000, the name chosen as a replacement was Franklin. In 2006, Franklin endured another large-scale flood reaching just below the record water line set from the 1999 flood.

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|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

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Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Franklin city, Virginia – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 1980

!Pop 1990

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020

!% 1980

!% 1990

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|White alone (NH)

|3,233

|3,630

|3,800

|3,333

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,966

|44.24%

|46.16%

|45.53%

|38.84%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |36.26%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|3,982

|4,192

|4,351

|4,867

|style='background: #ffffe6; |4,610

|54.49%

|53.31%

|52.13%

|56.71%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |56.36%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|27

|style='background: #ffffe6; |25

|0.07%

|0.08%

|0.11%

|0.31%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.31%

|Asian alone (NH)

|20

|65

|63

|style='background: #ffffe6; |81

|0.04%

|0.25%

|0.78%

|0.73%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.99%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2

|0.01%

|0.02%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.02%

|Other race alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |16

|0.00%

|0.01%

|0.10%

|0.09%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.20%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|66

|141

|style='background: #ffffe6; |262

|0.79%

|1.64%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.20%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|85

|15

|46

|141

|style='background: #ffffe6; |218

|1.16%

|0.19%

|0.55%

|1.64%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.67%

|Total

|7,308

|7,864

|8,346

|8,582

|style='background: #ffffe6; |8,180

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Franklin had a population of 8,180. The median age was 43.8 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 82.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 75.7 males age 18 and over.

There were 3,407 households in Franklin, of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 34.3% were married-couple households, 17.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 43.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

| White || 3,008 || 36.8%

| Black or African American || 4,639 || 56.7%

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 34 || 0.4%

| Asian || 81 || 1.0%

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 5 || 0.1%

| Some other race || 79 || 1.0%

| Two or more races || 334 || 4.1%

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 218 || 2.7%

2010 census

thumb|Age distribution in Franklin

As of the census of 2010, there were 8,582 people, 3,384 households, and 2,277 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,767 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 56.9% Black or African American, 39.4% White, 0.7% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, 0.3% Native American, and 1.9% from two or more races. 1.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,384 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% were married couples living together, 21.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.2 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 73.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,687, and the median income for a family was $40,299. Males had a median income of $32,083 versus $21,927 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,573. About 16.8% of families and 19.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.9% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those aged 65 or over.

Economy

Modern Franklin has two major industrial sectors: agriculture and manufacturing. Franklin is listed as being the 13th-most profitable and 12th-largest farming community in the state. The neighboring areas of Southampton and Isle of Wight counties, along with the city of Suffolk, are all ranked in the 20 most profitable farming counties, with Southampton County being the eighth-largest in the state. They have since resumed limited manufacturing, producing fluff pulp. This resulted in 213 new jobs.

Arts and culture

Arts facilities and museums

Franklin has a mini-museum of firefighting at the Franklin Fire Department. The Blackwater Regional Library system has the Ruth Camp Campbell Memorial Library. In the fall, the city hosts the Franklin Fall Festival and the Downtown Boo Bash. The city council includes seven members, including one elected from each of six wards and a seventh, the mayor, elected at large.

Franklin is heavily Democratic, having supported Democrats in presidential elections in every election since 1984. Barack Obama won the highest percentage of the vote for any Democrat in the city's history in both 2008 and 2012, and since then every Democratic candidate has gained over 60% of the vote.

Both major parties of the United States political system operate in Franklin with official committees.

Education

Franklin City Public Schools includes S. P. Morton Elementary School which includes pre-K through 5, J. P. King, Jr. Middle School which includes grades 6 through 8, and Franklin High School which includes grades 9 through 12. Paul D. Camp Community College is also located in Franklin.

Infrastructure

right|thumb|250px|The Franklin Airport sign

Transportation

Air transit

The Franklin Municipal Airport (John Beverly Rose Field) is located in Franklin.

Primary Routes

Healthcare

The Bon Secours - Southampton Medical Center is a 221-bed hospital located in Franklin.

Utilities

Franklin Municipal Power and Light provide electricity for the city.

Notable people

Randy Blythe (1971- ), musician Lamb of God (band)
Terry Bradshaw, professional baseball coach
James Leonidas Camp, founder and vice-president of Camp Manufacturing Company, later Union Camp Corporation
Paul Douglas Camp, founder and president of Camp Manufacturing Company, later Union Camp Corporation
Paul Councill, politician
Colgate Darden (1897-1981), politician, University of Virginia president, namesake of Darden School of Business
Georgia Mabel DeBaptiste, journalist, teacher, and social worker
Wyatt Durrette, attorney and politician
John James Dyer, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Iowa
Garland Gray, politician
Lansing Hatfield, bass-baritone opera singer and radio personality
Della Irving Hayden (1851-1924), founder of the Franklin Normal and Industrial Institute
Joseph Holland, stage and screen actor
Mul Holland, professional baseball player
Richard Hudson, congressman
William B. Lindsey, politician
Pauline C. Morton, educator and activist
Charlie Peete (1929-1956), baseball player
William V. Rawlings, attorney and politician
Fleming Rutledge (1937-), preacher, author, and Episcopalian priest
B. Scott, television personality, radio show host, and internet celebrity
Greg Scott (1979- ), professional football player, philanthropist
Randolph Scott, film actor
Charlie Whitehead, soul singer

References

External links

City of Franklin official website
Franklin-Southampton Economic Development, Inc. official website
Escape to Tradition - Official Tourism website
Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance, serving Franklin