Fall Line Road

United States   Migration    Trails and Roads    Fall Line Road

At the southeastern edge of the Piedmont is the (water)fall line, where rivers drop to the coastal plain. Towns grew at the fall line because cargo on boats had to be portaged around the waterfalls which also served as an important early source of water power. Mills built to harness this resource encouraged the growth of towns. The larger rivers were navigable up to the fall line, providing a trade route for those mill towns.

The Fall Line Road (or Southern Road) was the road built to connect most of those growing mill towns.

As roads developed in America settlers were attracted to nearby communities because the roads provided access to markets. They could sell their products at distant markets, and buy products made far away. If an ancestor settled near a road, you may be able to trace back to a place of origin on a connecting highway.

Historical Background
About 170 miles (274 km) from Philadelphia to Fredericksburg, and about 1030 miles (1658 km) from Fredericksburg to Montgomery.

a

Route
Some consider the start of the Fall Line Road to be Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It follows the same route from there to Fredericksburg, Virginia as the King's Highway. The Fall Line Road and Upper Road both spit off from the King's Highway at Fredericksburg.

By Town (Northeast to Southwest)


 * Philadelphia, PA: Schuylkill R.
 * Wilmington, DE: Brandywine Creek
 * Baltimore, MD: Patapsco R.
 * Georgetown, DC: Potomac R.


 * Fredericksburg, VA: Rappahannock R.
 * Richmond, VA: James R.
 * Petersburg, VA: Appomattox R.
 * Roanoke Rapids, NC: Roanoke R.
 * Smithfield, NC: Neuse R.
 * Fayetteville, NC: Cape Fear R.
 * Cheraw, SC: Pee Dee R.
 * Camden, SC: Wateree R.
 * Columbia, SC: Congaree R.
 * Augusta, GA: Savannah R.
 * Milledgeville, GA: Oconee R.
 * Macon, GA: Ocmulgee R.
 * Columbus, GA: Chattahoochee R.
 * Tallassee, AL: Tallapoosa R.
 * Montgomery, AL

By County or Independent City


 * Virginia: Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Caroline, Hanover, Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, Petersburg, Dinwiddie, Brunswick
 * North Carolina: Warren, Franklin, Wake, Johnston, Harnett, Cumberland, Hoke, Scotland
 * South Carolina: Marlboro, Chesterfield, Kershaw, Richland, Lexington, Aiken
 * Georgia: Richmond, McDuffie, Warren, Hancock, Baldwin, Jones, Bibb, Crawford, Taylor, Talbot, Muscogee
 * Alabama: Russell, Lee, Macon, Tallapoosa, Elmore, Montgomery

Settlers and Records
No lists of settlers who used the Fall Line Road are known to exist.