Henry County/Franklin County

Henry County Located in the foothills of southern Virginia, Henry County is named for Patrick Henry (1736–1799), Revolutionary leader and governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Henry lived in the county from 1779 to 1784. The General Assembly formed the county from Pittsylvania County in 1776, effective 1 Jan. 1777. In 1790 Patrick County was formed from a portion of Henry County. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the area's tobacco industry flourished here and the county’s furniture industry was born. Martinsville is the county seat. Franklin County Franklin County, a largely rural county at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, was formed from Bedford and Henry Counties in 1785. The county is named for Benjamin Franklin. Confederate Gen. Jubal A. Early was born in the county in 1816 and practiced law here. Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), African American leader and educator, was born a slave here in 1856. His achievements as an educator allowed him to be selected to establish a school for blacks in Alabama that became Tuskegee University. Rocky Mount is the county seat.