Glencoe and Wallaceton, Norfolk County, Virginia

This photograph of Wallaceton in the late 1800s appears on several web pages but the location of the original image is unknown.

Glencoe
George Thomas Wallace built Glencoe in 1841. According to the 1860 census, Wallace’s real estate was valued at $45,000 and his personal property was valued at $25,000. According to the 1860 Slave Schedule Wallace owned more than 70 enslaved people. The Wallace family home Wallaceton is located just north of the property.

 

Wallaceton in the late 1800s
“George T. Wallace, Esq. of Glencoe and his sons had timber and lumber company Wallace & Sons. Their mill is the large structure on the right bank of the canal in the picture. The post office for the area was in the company store and used “WALLACETON” as the post mark. Wallaceton refers to the stop along the canal the boats used. (West Landing at the end of Cornland Rd., Douglas Landing at the end of Douglas Rd., Wallaceton at the intersection of the Dismal Swamp and Northwest Canals,  Stuart’s Landing opposite Beechwood, and Lynch’s Wharf at the end of Ballachack Rd.) The building in the left foreground is the Superintendent’s House.”

 

Virginia Department of Historic Resources – Wallaceton
The structure served various purposes over time.

 

National Register of Historic Places – Final Nomination Form – Wallaceton – Chesapeake, Virginia – #131-0379 
A map on page 25 shows how close Wallace family residence and enterprises were to the Dismal Swamp.

 

Map of Deep Creek near Lake Drummond
The Deep Creek community is located near the Dismal Swamp which was the source of lumber and timber products for decades.

 

A Guide to the Wallace Company Records, 1783-1975 (Bulk 1875-1945)
George Thomas Wallace bought property along the Dismal Swamp Canal from the 1840s until 1855 — almost 14,000 acres. The lumber and milling business converted “the abundant juniper, pine, poplar, and cedar into shingles, rails, ties, and telegraph poles.” This finding aid provides access to corporate correspondence and financial records as expected. It also describes subject files related to sharecropping agreements and the Wallaceton Colored School.

 

Wallace Family Bible Record, 1840-1991
The Bible record images are online at the Library of Virginia.

 

Reconnaissance Survey of the City of Chesapeake, Virginia, July 1987 
This report includes historical background, maps, and a street index.