Amherst County (Va.) Public School Register, 1886-1903

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

Summary

Creator:
Amherst County (Va.) Circuit Court
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Amherst County (Va.) Public School Register, 1886-1903, contains daily attendance records, statistical information, and physical descriptions of four public schools in the Temperance District and one public school (School No. 24) in the Courthouse District. There are records for the Mt. Geddes School No. 14 (White), 1886-1890; the Wesleyan School No. 7 (White), 1890-1891; School No. 19 (Colored), and School No. 24 (white, Courthouse District), 1902-1903. The attendance records include name of teacher, names of pupils (surname, given name, and middle initial), age of pupils, and total days present for each pupil. Also included are monthly statistics: number of boys and girls on the roll, average daily attendance for boys and girls, average percent of boys and girls attending, average days present for boys and girls, average age of boy and girl pupils, number of boys and girls entered and dropped, number of boys and girls over 21 years of age, and the number of students studying spelling, reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, grammar, history and higher branches. Also included is a summary of the number of visits to school by the County Superintendent, District Trustees, and others.

The register also contains yearly summaries of statistics for each school, a list of text books used, and information about the school buildings such as style of school house, rented or owned by district, number of rooms, size and pitch of rooms, how heated, how ventilated, quality of ground attached, and list of furniture and apparatus belonging to the school.

Biographical / historical:

Public schools in Virginia were established during Reconstruction, and they were racially segregated from the outset.

Amherst County was named for Major General Jeffery Amherst, British commander in North America during the latter part of the French and Indian War and governor of Virginia from 1759 to 1768. It was formed from Albemarle County in 1761.

Acquisition information:

This item came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Amherst County.

The collection is located at the State Records Center. Contact Archives Research Services staff for access information, directions, and hours.

Physical description:
1 v. (30 p.)