Endicott, Virginia facts for kids
Endicott, Virginia is a small community located in Franklin County, Virginia. It's also sometimes called "Long Branch, Virginia." Not many buildings are left in this quiet place today. Endicott sits at an elevation of 1,158 feet above sea level. You can find Endicott on the Endicott U.S. Geological Survey Map. Franklin County, where Endicott is, is in the Eastern Time Zone.
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A Look Back: Endicott's History
How Endicott Got Its Name
Endicott was first settled a long, long time ago, in 1747. It's located along Virginia State Route 40. The story of how Endicott got its name is quite interesting! An early settler named Georgie Radford and an escaped slave named Mose first discovered the area when milkweed plants were blooming. Mose thought the milkweed looked like cotton. He exclaimed that they were "In the cotton." Later, Georgie Radford carved the words "En de cott" onto a rock. This phrase eventually became the name of the town.
The Land Grant
When Georgie Radford's father passed away in 1775, Georgie was only 16 years old. He managed to save a special land grant that his father had received. This grant was for 500 acres of land. His father had earned it for serving during the French and Indian War. The grant was written on deerskin. It gave him land on the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The document said the land was 500 acres, shaped like a square, starting at the crest of the Blue Ridge.
St. John-of-the-Mountain Mission
From 1907 to 1943, a mission school and church called St. John-of-the-Mountain operated here. It was run by the Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia. The Rev. William T. Roberts helped organize and establish this mission. He also started the Phoebe Needles Mission School nearby.
Endicott Through the Years
Before World War II, Endicott was a busy place. It had several general stores where people could buy things. There was also a mill, two schools, and a post office. It even had its own voting place for elections. However, since the war, fewer people have lived in Endicott. Today, only a couple of churches are still in use. The voting precinct closed down in 1997.
