Alexandria (Va.) Business Records, 1804-1942

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888
Restrictions:

Many of the business volumes are fragile. Please handle with extreme care.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions.

Preferred citation:

Alexandria (Va.) Business Records, 1804-1942. Local government records collection, Alexandria (Va.) Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Summary

Creator:
Alexandria (Va.) Circuit Court
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Alexandria (Va.) Business Records, 1804-1942. Local government records collection, Alexandria (Va.) Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Background

Scope and content:

Alexandria (Va.) Business Records, 1804-1942, are comprised of various records created by individuals in pursuit of documenting business activities in and around Alexandria (Va.) Represented records consist of bound volumes such an account book, a subscription list and registers.

Biographical / historical:

Context for Record Type:Business Records, both volumes and loose records, are in some cases transferred to the Library of Virginia as components of court record transfers. These business records in some cases were simply stored in the local court building for safe keeping by business owners. In other cases, business records (particularly ledgers, account books, etc.) may have been filed in a court case as an exhibit. These business record exhibits appeared both in chancery causes and in judgments, these records serving as exhibits for business dissolution cases, debt suits, and contract disputes.

Locality History:: Alexandria in Fairfax and Arlington Counties, was named for John Alexander, an early owner of the tract in Fairfax County on which the town was located. The act to establish Alexandria was passed in 1749. Its site had previously been known as Hunting Creek Warehouse and as Belhaven. Alexandria was incorporated as a town in 1779 and was ceded to the federal government in 1789 for use as part of the site of the new national capital. It officially became part of the District of Columbia in 1801 and was renamed Alexandria County by Congress. By an act of 9 July 1846, Alexandria County, including the town of Alexandria, was retroceded to Virginia, which took jurisdiction over the area on 20 March 1847. The town was incorporated as a city in 1852. Area: 15.2 square miles. Population: 128,283 (2000), 135,200 (2005 estimate.)

Acquisition information:

Series I and II came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers in 1957 from Alexandria under the accession number 24665d.

Series III came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Alexandria in an undated accession.

Processing information:

Prior to 2024, the various business records in this collection were originally described as individual records, but they have been consolidated into one large business record for the locality.

Encoded by C. Freed, October, 2025

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged

  • Series I: Alexandria (Va.) Canal Company Account of Tolls Collected, 1845-1853
  • Series II: Unidentified Agent's Account of Newspaper Subscribers, 1804-1808
  • Series III: United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company Registers of Bonds and Policies, 1912-1942

Physical location:
State Records Center - Archives Annex, Library of Virginia
Physical description:
5 volumes