Finneywood

"A Thriving Community at the Turn of the Century"

WPA Map

DOT Map

Coordinates of the railroad crossing at Finneywood 36° 52' 31N - 78° 28' 49W

Old structures remaining at Finneywood Depot

Finneywood Store and Post Office

Operated by Jake Watson until 1905. William Walker Pettus II and Note Pettus bought the store and ran it until the 20's, when it was sold to Mr. Shelton. (Files of William Walker Pettus IV, who believes this store was one of two near the station.)

The "Big House"

William Walker Pettus II moved from the Thompson House to the Big House about 1918, and lived there until he died in 1932. The Big House was built by Rennie Meade in the 1880's. William Walker Pettus III, Lucile Pettus and Thelma Pettus inherited the Big House and 35-acre farm. It was sold to Norman Neblett in 1948. (Files of William Walker Pettus IV)

The "Little House"

Located next to the Big House; was occupied by Henry Norton ("Note") Pettus, son of Lucius Pettus

The Thompson House

The Thompson House is probably the oldest of these structures. It is about 1/4 mile east of the old depot, and behind a house formerly occupied by Herman Thompson, dec'd (not closely related to the original Thompson family there), and near the Thompson/Pettus Cemetery. The house is now [2006] owned and occupied by Kevin M. Price.

A Bit of History

In 1832, David Thompson, Jr. purchased the tract of land from the estate of Eddins Moore. The tract was half of the Joseph Gregory Senior land sold in Mecklenburg in 1807, when Gregory remarried to a Charlotte County widow.

Joseph Gregory sold in 1807 to William Tisdale of Lunenburg, who sold it the following April to Eddins Moore of Lunenburg. Moore was deceased by 1814 (land tax), and the tract was tied up in the Eddins Moore estate until purchased by David Thompson, Jr. in 1832. It is likely this is the part of the Joseph Gregory land on which his family was reared, as this half of the Joseph Gregory tract lay on the river and included two acres on the Lunenburg side, "for use of the mill."

In the Thompson household, 1850 Mecklenburg Co., VA Census, all born VA:

David Thompson 44, farmer
Martha Thompson 51
James Thompson 17
Francis Thompson 16
David Thompson 15
John Thompson 13

In the Thompson household, 1870 Mecklenburg Co., VA Census

David Thompson 63, farmer
James L. Thompson 35, farmer
Martha A. Thompson 34 (1st married to William Walker Pettus I)
Lucius M. Pettus 19, farm hand
William W. Pettus 16, attending school
John H. H. Pettus [should be Thompson] 9, attending school
David J. Pettus [should be Thompson] 3
Sophia W. Davis, 60, lives with daughter

Thompson - Pettus Family Cemetery

Located on east side of Hwy. 682 approximately 1/4 mile south of village of Finneywood on Thompson farm near old Thompson homeplace.

PETTUS, Betty Reid Hardy 26 Oct. 1887 - 2 Feb. 1970
Jackson Bayne 27 Aug. 1883 - 19 Feb. 1948
Hallie Mason 1908 - 1980
*Neil _____ - _____
*William _____ - _____

THOMPSON, James L. _____ - _____ - CSA, Co. C, 21 VA. Inf., Pvt.
*Martha Ann Davis w/o James L. Thompson - _____ - _____
David, Jr. f/o James L. Thompson - _____ - _____
Martha _____ - _____

THOMPSON, Infant d/o D. J. & M. L. Thompson - 16 Jan. 1902 - 23 Jan. 1902
Stone placed by Munsey Moore. It is believed that a child is buried in this cemetery. (From Cemetery and Tombstone Records of Mecklenburg Co., VA, Vol. I, by Munsey A. Moore, 1982, 718 Boyd St. Chase City, VA 23924)

* Marked by field stones as told to me by Mrs. John (Sally) Bigger, 93 years old (life) resident of the Finneywood area. The census records were also used by this writer to try to determine who is buried at the Thompson homeplace.

---

Contributed by JoLee Gregory Spears

---