Gap Branch – The Vanishing Schools of Franklin County, VA

Gap Branch School

Gap Branch School was a one-room schoolhouse for African-American students near the Sydnorsville community of Franklin County. The school was built on a stone foundation, and it was heated with a stove. The building did not have electricity, running water, or indoor restrooms. Hazel Tinsley was a teacher at the school.

Gap Branch School (circled),
topographic map of Franklin County,
United States Geological Survey, 1925

Gap Branch School (circled),
topographic map of Franklin County,
United States Geological Survey, 1927

Gap Branch School (circled),
schoolhouse map of Franklin County,
Virginia State Planning Board, 1935

Gap Branch School (circled),
topographic map of Franklin County,
United States Geological Survey, 1944

Gap Branch School, 2023
Photography by William B. Gibson

Gap Branch School, 2023
Photography by William B. Gibson