ROCKINGHAM COUNTY VIRGINIA
TOWNSHIPS - 1870
We the undersigned commissioners for the County of Rockingham appointed by his Excellency Gilbert C. Walker of Virginia in pursuance of an act of the Legislation: to provide for dividing the several counties of this State into Townships - approved April 2nd 1870 - being duly qualified as such commissioners - have divided and laid off said county into compactly located Townships: as nearly equal as may be in territory and population, with the view to the proper subdivision of said Townships into school districts and with a view to establishing one or more places for opening polls in each Township for all elections in the Commonwealth; as follows: to wit:
The Plains Township is bounded as follows: Beginning on the top of the Massanutten Mountain corner of Rockingham & Shenandoah Counties in the Page County line & with the Page line S.W. to the corner of Page & Rockingham; thence N.W. across the Valley; crossing the Keezeltown Road 1/2 mile S.W. of Wesley Chafree - The Valley Turnpike 1/2 mile S.W. of Sparta crossing the Wampler Road and the Middle Road one mile S.W. of their junctions with the Sparta & Brocks Gap Road crossing Linville Creek 3/4 mile S.W. of Bowman's Mill and the Back Road one mile S.W. of Coots Store to the north end of the Little North Mountain S.W. of Brocks Gap, thence North East along the top of Little North Mountain to the Shenandoah County line and with that line S.E. to the beginning - voting places are - Timberville, Township, and Tenth Legion.
Linville Creek Township is bounded as follows: Beginning at the S.W. corner of the Plains Township on the Massanutten Mountain also corner to Elk Run Township & with the same S.W. along the top of the Mountain (to) in the Harrisonburg Township line thence N.W. with the same crossing the Keezeltown Road 2-3/4 miles N.E. of Keezeltown & the Valley Turnpike 3/4 miles N.E. of Mrs. Smiths crossing the Kratzer Road 1-1/2 miles S.W. of Etna and the Edom Road 1-1/2 miles S.W. of Edom forks of the road leading to Antioch Church the Bowman's Mill Road - 1/2 mile N.W. of Antioch Church and the Back Road 3/4 miles N.E. of George H. Chrisman's to the S.W. end of Little North Mountain thence along the top of Little North Mountain N.E. to the corner of the Plains Township South of Brocks Gap; thence with a line of the Plains Township to the Beginning - voting places Linville (Township Town) Mitchels School House and Carpenters School House.
Brocks Gap Township is bounded as follows: Beginning on the top of Little North Mountain in the Shenandoah County line - corner to the Plains Township thence S.W. along the top of Little North Mountain crossing corners of the Plains and Linville Creek Townships near Brock's Gap to the corner of Linvill's Creek on the south end of Little North Mountain north of Hopkins Gap - thence N.W. across the top of Tomahawk Mountain to the Pendleton line on the Shenandoah Mountain - thence with the Pendleton line N.E. to the Hardy line thence with the Hardy and Shenandoah County lines to the Beginning - voting places Fulk's Mill - (Township.Town) and Wittig's Store.
Central Township - is bounded as follows: Beginning in the S.W. line of Linvills Creek Township where it crosses the Manassas Gap Rail Road 1-1/2 miles S.W. of Etna thence with the Rail Road 1-1/2 miles and continuing the same general direction along the crest of the Ridge west of Harrisonburg to a point where the Harrisonburg and Warm Springs Turnpike crosses the top of the Hill 3/8 of a mile S.W. of the Kyle House corner to the Harrisonburg Township thence with the lines of the same S.E. 1-1/2 miles passing just south of the Tollgate on the Valley Turnpike (one mile S.W. of Harrisonburg) to a point in the West line of Ashby Township & with the same S.W. 3-5/8 miles to Pleasant Run Church corner to Franklin Township thence N.W. with a line of same Township crossing the Valley Turnpike at the menonite Church and the Warm Springs Turnpike at the forks of the Road 1/2 mile S.W. of Dayton and the Dayton and Rushville road 1/4 mile N.E. of Rushville - the Back Road 3/4 mile S.W. of Dry River at the Union Springs Road and across the north ends of Narrow Back and Rocky Ridge Mountains and the south end of Dundores Mountain to the top of the Shenandoah Mountain one mile & 1/4 S.W. of the Turnpike at Dry River Gap thence N.E. along the summit of Shenandoah Mountain with the Pendleton line to the corner of Brock's Gap Township thence S.E. with Brock's Gap and Linvills Creek to the beginning at the Manassas Gap R.Road. Voting places - Mt. Clinton Township Town - Dayton and Rawley Springs.
Franklin Township is bounded as follows: Beginning at the corner of Central Township at Pleasant Run Church in a line of Ashby Township thence S.W. with a line of same Township along the dividing Ridge between Pleasant Run and Cook's Creek and crossing the Mt. Crawford and Frieden's Church Road 1/2 way between same streams and crossing the North River north of the Grattan House to a point in the Augusta line 3/4 mile west of Pleasant Grove Church thence with the Augusta line N.W. to the top of Shenandoah Mountain in the Pendleton line thence with the same Pendleton line N.E. along the top of the Shenandoah Mountain to the corner of Central Township thence with a line of same Township S.E. to the Beginning. Voting places Bridgewater (Township town) Mt. Crawford and Ottobine.
Harrisonburg Township is bounded as follows: Beginning at the Manassas Gap Rail Road in a line of Linvill's Creek Township thence with same Township S.E. to the top of Middle Mountain corner to Elk Run & Stonewall Townships thence along the top of same Mountain with a line of Stonewall Township S.W. to the south end of the Peaked Mountain thence N.W. to a point in the Keezeltown Road 3/8 mile N.E. of Peales Cross Roads - thence N.W. crossing the Rockingham Turnpike 1-5/8 miles N.W. of Peales Cross Roads passing the corner of Central Township - and the Valley Turnpike just south of the Tollgate (one mile S.W. of Harrisonburg) to the corner of Central Township S.W. of the Kyle House on the Warm Springs Turnpike thence with a line of same Township N.E. to the beginning. Voting places - Harrisonburg (Township Town) and Keezeltown.
Ashby Township - is bounded as follows: Beginning at the south end of the Peaked Mountain - thence S.W. with a line of Stonewall Township to a point on the north bank of Middle River 1/2 mile above the mouth South River - (passing through the intersection of Sawyer's & Rush's Mill Roads and the Port Republic & Harrisonburg Roads 3/4 mile north of Port Republic) thence up Middle River to the Augusta line and with the Augusta line N.W. to the corner of Franklin Township thence N.E. with Franklin & Central Townships - the corner of Central Township in the Harrisonburg Township line - thence S.E. with the Harrisonburg Township line to the beginning. Voting places Cross Keys Township town - Fair Hill & Peales Cross Roads.
Stonewall Township - is bounded as follows: Beginning on the top of Middle Mountain opposite Lairds Knob - corner to Elk Run - Linvill's Creek and Harrisonburg Township thence S.E. crossing the Rockingham Turnpike near the forks of the Old Massanutten Road to the mouth of Bonnie Brook Run where it empties into the South Shenandoah River thence S.E. crossing the Port Republic and Conrad's Store Road 3/4 mil S.W. of the fork of the Simmons Gap Road near H. E. Sipe's to the top of the Blue Ridge 1/2 mile S.W. of Simmons Gap in the Greene County line thence S.W. with the Greene and Albermarle County lines along the top of the Blue Ridge to the corner of Augusta County thence with a line of the same N.W. to Middle River corner to Ashby Township thence with a line of Ashby and Harrisonburg Townships N.E. to the beginning - Voting places - Port Republic (Township Town) and McGaheysville.
Elk Run Township - is bounded as follows: Beginning on Middle Mountain opposite Lairds Knob - corner to Linvill's Creek - Harrisonburg & Stonewall Townships thence N.E. along the top of Middle Mountain to the Page County line and with same Page County line S.E. to the top of the Blue Ridge in the Greene County line thence S.W. along the top of same Blue Ridge with the Greene County line to the corner of Stonewall Township 1/2 mile S.W. of Simmons Gap thence with the lines of same Stonewall Township to the beginning. Voting place Conrad's Store - which is also Township Town.
All of which is most respectfully submitted
George J. Kisling
Wm. F. Pifer
W. A. Maupin
Wm. M. Sibert
I. F. Brenner
NOTES: The town of Linville was called Etna around 1870
The area now known as Mauzy was called Sparta in 1831 and Spartapolis 1839
This was typed from a hand written copy on file at the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society
27 February 1996.