Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 09/15/1981
NRHP Listing Date 09/09/1982
NRHP Reference Number 82004556
Built by Paul D. Camp, a founder of the Camp Manufacturing Company, today’s Union Camp Corporation, The Elms stands as a tangible symbol of the success of a large industrial enterprise. The lumber industry that Camp and his brothers developed in Southampton County after the Civil War revived the economy of southeastern Tidewater Virginia and also enabled the Camp family to create new cultural resources for the Franklin area in the form of schools and libraries. The spacious late Victorian house, built in the city of Franklin in 1897, exemplifies the residences built by well-to-do small-town businessmen and community leaders in the late 19th century. Typical of such houses, it has numerous gables, a corner tower, long front porch, and decorative interior woodwork. By the end of the 20th century, The Elms was owned by the Camp family foundations, for use in the management of philanthropic activities and for special functions.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: January 14, 2022
