The Virginia American Water Company Collection (MS103)

Access and use

Location of collection:
Alexandria Library
Alexandria Library
Local History/Special Collections
717 Queen Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Patricia Walker, Branch Manager
Phone: (703) 746-1719
Phone: (703) 838-4577
Fax: (703) 706-3912
Preferred citation:

[Item identification], Virginia American Water Company Collection, MS103, Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections, Alexandria, Va.

Summary

Extent:
7 Linear Feet 15 Boxes
Creator:
Virginia American Water Company
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Item identification], Virginia American Water Company Collection, MS103, Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections, Alexandria, Va.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists of financial records, such as account books from the 1800s; dividend payments; income tax returns from 1919-1928; company records and reports; an employee records book from the 1920s-1940; letters of correspondence; company histories; franchise map; and newsclippings from various newspapers in 1956-1957. Of particular interest are the 1867 property book and the book containing the "Copies of Deeds, Agreements, & Contracts" from 1853-1892. Both contain drawings and diagrams of where water pipes had been laid in Old Town.

Biographical / historical:

The Virginia American Water Company was originally founded in 1852 as the Alexandria Water Company. The idea for a supply of clean water can be attributed to Benjamin Hallowell, who after losing three children to disease, may have realized the importance of clean water. The Alexandria Water Company was chartered by the Virginia Legislature on March 22, 1850 and Hallowell served as its first President. The company expanded in the early 1900s and again in the 1950s. In 1972, the company merged with the Old Dominion Water Corporation and the Prince William Water Company to become the Virginia American Water Company.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged in six series as follows: Series I: Correspondence, 1866-1980 Series II: Company Records, 1859-1960 Series III: Financial Records, 1852-1929 and Annual Reports, 1851-1879 Series IV: Legal Documents, 1924-1948 Series V: Company History/Photographs and Miscellaneous Items Series VI: Drawings and Sketches

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard