Alexandria History Collection (MS240)

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

Summary

Extent:
8.75 Cubic Feet 14.5 legal size, 2 oversize
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

The manuscripts vertical file is an artificial collection containing a wide variety of unique manuscript items relating to Alexandria, Virginia residents, businesses, organizations, and history.

The majority of the items are manuscript pages but the collection also includes books and ephemera. It is strong in local business advertisements, stationary, and records as well as correspondence, legal and financial papers, memorabilia, and school-related documents. The majority of the documents date from the 19th century, although 18th and 20th century documents are also present.

Some notable documents include: a book of auction records from 1837-1840 including sales of houses, ships, and slaves; an apothecary formula book, several examples of late-18th century legal papers, Civil War passes into Washington for the Leadbeater family, an Alexandria High School student exercise book from 1859-1863, apprenticeship indentures, an 1841 retrocession petition, and records of fires in the city from the 1930s and 1950s.

Acquisition information:
This collection was created circa 1976 and was expanded over many years through small donations and acquisitions. Accession information is unavailable for many of the items in the collection.
Arrangement:

Formerly titled "Vertical File (Manuscript) Collection"

The collection is arranged alphabetically by subject. The collection is further split by size, with two additional oversized boxes containing materials from the same subjects as listed below.

The subjects are described as follows:

African-American History

Dimensions:
Oversize boxes 24.75x20.75x3.5
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard