James City County and City of Williamsburg Personal Property Tax Books

Access and use

Location of collection:
College of William and Mary
Special Collections Research Center
Earl Gregg Swem Library
College of William and Mary
400 Landrum Drive
PO 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Contact for questions and access:
Phone: (757) 221-3090
Fax: (757) 221-5440
Restrictions:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Terms of access:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Preferred citation:

James City County and Williamsburg City Personal Property Books, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.

Summary

Extent:
11.00 Linear Feet
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

James City County and Williamsburg City Personal Property Books, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection is composed of 69 Property Tax Books and 3 Land Tax Books for James City County, Virginia, 1866-1948, and 42 Property Tax Books and 2 Land Tax Books for Williamsburg, Virginia, 1865-1927.

Most years contain two sections within one book: one section for "White" property owners and one section for "Colored" property owners. Many of the James City County records have separate books or are divided into Powhatan, Jamestown and Stone House districts. For the years 1871 to 1875, records are not available for the county as a whole, but rather by the townships listed. Some years have more than one copy, usually the original book, and the corrected version.

Many of the books have crumbling covers and edges, but remain intact. Most are folded with one or two folds and have been left that way to preserve the crumbling paper.

Missing years: James City County: 1915, 1918, 1920, 1921, 1930 and 1937; Williamsburg: 1892 to 1901, 1908, 1909, 1911, 1916, 1918 and 1920.

Acquisition information:
Gift
Arrangement:

Divided into James City County and Williamsburg, then chronological order by year.

Physical description:
115 volumes