Series XXVI: William Weaver Business Records, 1814-1826 1814-1826

Extent:

9 volumes

Scope and content:

Historical Information:William Weaver (1780-1863), born in Flourtown, Pennsylvania, was ironmaster in Virginia and enslaved numerous Black and multiracial people in Rockbridge County. During his career, Weaver was involved in a variety of enterprises including merchandising, milling, marble quarrying, and small-scale textile manufacturing, but in July 1814, Weaver made a chance investment in the Virginia iron industry along with his new partner Thomas Mayburry, a Philadelphia merchant whose father and grandfather had been involved in the iron industry in Pennsylvania. Weaver and Mayburry purchased, from William Wilson, Union Forge, located in Rockbridge County, and two blast furnaces, Etna and Retreat, in neighboring Botetourt County along with 6,000 acres of iron ore and woodlands.

The Retreat and Etna furnace properties were in decline when Weaver and Mayburry made their purchase - Etna Furnace was in serious disrepair while Retreat Furnace possessed inadequate water power. Weaver attempted to put Retreat into blast in 1815, but due to the lack of water, Weaver realized that the furnace at Etna had to be rebuilt. Etna Furnace, originally built in 1792, was situated along Purgatory Creek near Buchanan, Virginia. Weaver succeeded in putting Etna into blast in 1815, thus, insuring that Union Forge would have a steady supply of pig iron.

Union Forge, renamed as Buffalo Forge, was located on Buffalo Creek in Rockbridge County and would become William Weaver's permanent residence when he relocated to Virginia in 1823. Buffalo Forge was a large complex that had in addition to the forge two water powered mills; a store to sell tobacco, sugar, cloth, and clothing to workers; a shoe and harness shop; carpenter shop; sawmill; and blacksmith. In addition, fields on the furnace properties were used to grow crops of wheat, corn, oats, rye, hay, and clover.

Initially, William Weaver staffed his furnaces with a mixture of white laborers and hired Black and multiracial enslaved persons, but in October 1815, Weaver purchased eleven enslaved individuals from John Wilson, son of William Wilson from whom he had purchased the furnace properties. Included among these enslaved labaors was Tooler, Black enslaved skilled ironworker. Tooler and this group enslaved laborers formed the basis of Weaver's large crew of skilled ironworkers. Weaver had the bill of sale for these enslaved laborers made out to himself instead of the partnership of Weaver and Mayburry. When the partnership began to dissolve in 1825, Weaver would insist that Mayburry relinquish any claim to any of the enslaved individuals.

Despite the dissolution of the partnership in 1825, Thomas Mayburry would stay on to operate Etna Furnace. The dissolution of the partnership would ultimately lead to a lengthy chancery suit, primarily pertaining to the ownership rights of the enslaved laborers, that would not be settled until an out-of-court agreement was reached in 1836. A preliminary agreement was reached between the former partners in 1827 when Mayburry agreed to sell Weaver his half of the Union Forge property. After this purchase, Weaver would rename the property Buffalo Forge. Weaver would continue to add to his iron holdings in Virginia, when in 1825, Weaver purchased Lydia Furnace in Rockbridge County. Weaver would later rename this property the Bath Iron Works. Weaver would continue to operate his iron interests until his death on 25 March 1863. Upon his death, Weaver left the Bath Iron Works property to Daniel Brady. The remainder of his property, including Buffalo Forge and many of the skilled enslaved ironworker, passed to his niece Emma Brady, Daniel Brady's wife.

Today, several buildings still stand at the site of Buffalo Forge, including Weaver's residence, "slave quarters," and several support buildings. The property remains in the hands of the Brady heirs. Some ruins of Etna Furnace exist today on private land, but the remains of Retreat Furnace were destroyed in the 1970s by a treasure hunter searching for the Beale treasure.

Scope and Content:The William Weaver Business Records, 1814-1826, document Weaver's partnership with Thomas Mayburry and the financial activities of his Virginia iron interests: Etna Furnace, Union Forge (later renamed Buffalo Forge), and Retreat Furnace. The collection consists of the following nine volumes: Etna Furnace Daybook, 1824-1826; Etna Furnace Negro Book, 1815-1822; Etna Furnace Pig Iron Book, 1815-1826; Etna Furnace Pig Iron Book, 1820-1825; Mayburry and Weaver Cashbook, 1818-1826; Retreat Furnace Daybook and Ledger, 1816-1826; Union Forge Daybook, 1819-1824; Union Forge Provision Book, 1818-1826; and William Weaver Invoice Book and Etna Furnace Daybook, 1814-1826.

Also see: Augusta County Chancery Cause, William Weaver vs.Thomas Mayburry, 1831-019. Available Digitally through Chancery Records Index.

Physical location:

State Records Center

Access and use

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