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Discover Smith Mountain Lake
FALL 2016
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To Kill A Chicken-bird
Franklin County is also home to a somewhat less-
distinguished, albeit popular character:The Smith Mountain
Lake Chicken.To be more precise, an 8-foot tall fiberglass
statue of a rooster that was originally installed in the
parking lot of Lake Plaza shopping center as an advertising
gimmick.The center’s owner, Joe Altadonna, had placedThe
Chicken there as a means of promoting his “Safari Mini-
Golf ” course, which features similar statues of beasts of
various descriptions.
Altadonna’s use of The Chicken was declared a violation of
local sign ordinances, and a veritable brouhaha ensued;The
Chicken’s supporters rallied, and its opponents were left
with egg on their faces.
Franklin County ranks second of the three counties in terms
of real estate taxes, with a 2016 rate of $0.55 per $100 of
assessed value.
Their finest hour
While rich in history dating back to colonial days, Bedford
County is especially remembered for contributions it made
during the D-Day invasion. In all, 23 Bedford soldiers lost
their lives in the Normandy campaign.The total Bedford
County population in 1944 was around 3200; thus,
proportionally, Bedford suffered the greatest D-Day losses
of any county in the United States.This led to the act of
Congress that established the location of the National D-Day
Memorial in Bedford County, Less than a half hour’s drive
on 122 from Hales Ford Bridge.
A bit further away, but well worth the trip, isThomas
Jefferson’s Poplar Forest.This site was a favorite retreat
of Mr. Jefferson, with its octagonal house and bountiful,
roaming lands.Visitors today can see what life was like in
Jefferson’s time, thanks to painstaking restorations that are
still on-going. Events of note include scheduled visits from
a ColonialWilliamsburg Foundation actor in the guise of
Thomas Jefferson on a given date in history. Performances
conclude with audience participation question-and-answer
sessions that are quite memorable.
Of auspicious note is Bedford County’s tax rate, which is the
lowest of the three counties, weighing in at $0.52 per $100
of assessed value. It is worth mentioning here that all three
counties assess at 100% of actual value, and that even at 59
cents, Pittsylvania’s tax rate is a lot more attractive than
those of the nearest surrounding cities.
Announcements of property tax reassessment usually
cause a bit of confusion. Generally, counties inVirginia are
required by law to reassess real property values every four
years.As property values increase, this normally results in
a corresponding drop in the rate, and vice versa.Therefore,
your actual property taxes due will not necessarily increase
proportionally.
For example, in most cases, a reassessment must include an
adjustment of the tax rate so that the projected revenues will
not exceed 101% of the previous year’s budget.This is to
ensure that the county cannot reassess real property for the
purpose of producing a windfall at taxpayer’s expense.
“Send for the Smith Brothers!”
By 1738, the colonial government had seen enough, and took decisive
action. It was decreed that
“any person who within ten years shall settle upon
the Roanoke River, on the south branch (Dan) above the fork; and on the north
branch above the mouth of Little Roanoke and all lands lying between shall be
exempt from all levies (taxes) for ten years … and that letters of naturalization be
granted to any alien settling there, upon taking the oath of parliament.”
These “aliens” included Quakers from Pennsylvania, who had fled
persecution in England to settle in the NewWorld.Among these intrepid
souls were Daniel and Gideon Smith, brothers for whom the Mountain,
and eventually by extension, the Lake were named. Just like many of us,
they were from‘out of state’, and they came here to escape high taxes.
In 1740, the Smith brothers laid claim to thousands of acres, and made
their homes here.
Other early settlers were Scotch-Irish and German, again coming by
way of Pennsylvania, and many of those family names are still common
here. But many who came for the tax break were from EasternVirginia.
One name that stands out is that of John Pigg, of Amelia County, who,
in 1741, settled on the south fork of the Staunton river, opposite Snow
Creek. Since this south fork had yet to be named, we now know it as the
Pigg River.
Although the 10-year tax-free period is long-since expired, newcomers
to Smith Mountain Lake still enjoy the benefit of relatively low taxes,
even when compared to places as close as Roanoke and Lynchburg.
Pittsylvania County, which includes lands originally settled by the Smith
brothers, owns the dubious distinction of being the area’s real estate tax
rate leader, with a stated 2016 rate of $0.59 per $100 of assessed value.
This rate is announced on June 30 of each year, and recent trends show
the rate skewing upward.
Where the moon shines
brightly
Franklin County, formed in 1785 from
parts of Bedford and Henry Counties,
was named after Benjamin Franklin, one
of the few Counties inVirginia named for
someone other than a figure prominent in
Virginian or British history.
During Prohibition, Franklin County
earned the dubious distinction of
“Moonshine Capital of theWorld”, and
rumors persist as to when or if that
particular mantle of leadership was
ever truly shed. Suffice it to say that the
County’s Chamber of Commerce still
proudly broadcasts the title as part of its
PR campaigns.
Up From Slavery
You may have noticed that in Franklin County, Rte 122
carries the more prosaic moniker of “BookerT.Washington
Highway”, a mouthful to say, and possible contributor to
carpal tunnel syndrome for those who address envelopes.
Just a stone’s throw from theWestlake Business District
on Rte 122, you’ll find BookerT.Washington National
Monument. It is the birthplace of one of the most dominant
figures in the history of race relations.Washington was the
son of a white slave owner father and a black slave mother,
who was freed at the age of 9 following President Lincoln’s
Emancipation Proclamation.
Visitors may tour preserved portions of the 224 acre
tobacco farm where BookerT.Washington was born, just
minutes by car from Hales Ford Bridge.
On that happy note, we conclude this tour of our historic region, and encourage you to enrich
yourselves by exploring, reading, and visiting the many points of interest that surround Smith
Mountain Lake, the Jewel of the Blue Ridge.
