Henrico County (Va.) School Records 1820; 1847-1899

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:
Henrico County (Va.) Circuit Court.
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Henrico County (Va.) School Records, 1820; 1847-1899, contain records of the Board of School Commissioners, 1847-1861, and the Board of School Trustees, 1871-1899, documenting the administration of public schools in Henrico County.

Records of the Board of School Commissioners, 1847-1861, are comprised of one page of minutes documenting the appointment of a treasurer, 1820; and minutes, orders, and reports documenting the laying off school districts, appointment of trustees to the board, and election of superintendents of schools, 1847-1848; 1851-1861.

Records of the Board of School Trustees, 1871-1899, are petitions, orders, surveys, plats, abstracts of title, and copies of condemnation proceedings documenting the acquisition of land for schools in the Brookland, Fairfield, and Tuckahoe school districts, including the acquisition of property from the Trustees of the Sydney Baptist Church, by the Tuckahoe District, 1883; and acquisition, in 1899, of a lot on Mountain Road, which became the site of Glen Allen School.

Biographical / historical:

On February 21, 1818, the Virginia legislature passed a school bill which appropriated $45,000 annually from the Literary Fund for the education of poor children. (The Literary Fund had been established in 1810 with passage of a bill to appropriate "certain escheats, confiscated, and forfeited lands" for the "encouragement of learning.") Under the provisions of the 1818 School Act, each county court was required to appoint five to fifteen commissioners to establish and/or administer schools for children of the poor. A more comprehensive public school system was established by the legislature in 1870. Prior to 1818, county courts were given the option of whether to appoint a Board of School Commissioners.

The Virginia Constitution of 1870 mandated Virginia's first statewide public school system. The schools were racially segregated by law until the mid-twentieth century.

Henrico County was named for Henry, Prince of Wales, the oldest son of James I. It was one of the eight original shires established in 1634.

All county court records prior to 1655 and almost all prior to 1677 are missing. Many records were destroyed by British troops during the Revolutionary War. Post-Revolutionary War county court records exist. Almost all circuit superior court of law and chancery and circuit court records were destroyed by fire during the evacuation of Richmond on 3 April 1865 in the Civil War. The county's circuit court held its sessions at the state courthouse in Richmond.

Acquisition information:
These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court records from Henrico County Circuit Court.
Physical description:
0.25 cu. ft. (1 box)