Elwood Street, Virginia Courthouse Histories, 1941-1971

Access and use

Location of collection:
Mary Riley Styles Public Library
Mary Riley Styles Public Library
120 North Virginia Avenue
Falls Church, VA 22046
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Peter Sullivan
Phone: (703) 248-5030

Summary

Extent:
2 boxes
Language:
Materials in this collection are in English .

Background

Scope and content:

In addition to the courthouse histories, the files include drafts, correspondence, photographs and negatives. The amount of information varies by county.

Biographical / historical:

This project was begun by Elwood Street in 1941. Street visited Virginia county courthouses and wrote articles that were published weekly in the Richmond Times-Dispatch from 1941 to 1942. He retired to Falls Church in 1961 and presented a scrapbook of these articles to the then director of the Falls Church Public Library, Richard Burns. Mr. Burns proposed to the Board of Directors of the Virginia Library Association that the materials of 1941-42 be supplemented by updated information and to publish them in one or more volumes called "Wellsprings of Democracy." The proceeds were to be donated to the Virginia Library Association.This project was begun by Elwood Street in 1941. Street visited Virginia county courthouses and wrote articles that were published weekly in the Richmond Times-Dispatch from 1941 to 1942. He retired to Falls Church in 1961 and presented a scrapbook of these articles to the then director of the Falls Church Public Library, Richard Burns. Mr. Burns proposed to the Board of Directors of the Virginia Library Association that the materials of 1941-42 be supplemented by updated information and to publish them in one or more volumes called "Wellsprings of Democracy." The proceeds were to be donated to the Virginia Library Association.

In 1971 letters were written to the libraries of the Virginia cities and counties asking for updated information and photographs. A Fact Sheet and notes on writing the courthouse histories were included with the solicitations. Many counties responded and the results are in these files. It does not appear, however, that these volumes were ever published.

The Falls Church History Room does hold the scrapbooks of Mr. Street which contain the original newspaper articles published by the Richmond Times-Dispatch: "Wellsprings of democracy: the stories of fifty-five Virginia County Courthouses published by the Richmond Times Dispatch, August 1941-September 1942" by Elwood Street.

Acquisition information:
The files were donated by Elwood Street.
Arrangement:

The files are in order by county name. Each has a history of the courthouse and most have additional information. A list of the courthouse histories with the author(s)' names and dates are listed under the file folder name.