Scope and Content
The papers of the
Noland familyof
Hanover County, Virginia, consist of
about four hundred items, (3 Hollinger boxes, 1 linear foot),
1814, 1823-1948, chiefly letters to the three brothers,
Thomas Nelson Berkeley Noland(1846-1913),
Frank Noland(1854-1898), and
William Churchill Noland(1865-?), the
sons of
Callender St. George Noland(1816-1879)
and
Mary Edmonia Berkeley
Noland(1823-1901).
Other miscellaneous papers of the
Noland familyinclude miscellaneous
correspondence, photographs, newsclippings, printed material,
an arithmetic example book belonging to
Thomas Noland(1799-1857), a brother of
Callender Noland, diaries (1843,
1845-1849), miscellaneous business and legal papers, and
confederate currency and postage stamps.
Letters to
Nelson Noland
An early letter, undated but written on the reverse side of
a note from Mr. Morrison of
Rugby Academywhich was dated February 11,
1851, speaks of the sale of stock, crops, farming implements
and slaves, excluding the "best behaved" slaves, from both
plantations, [
Dewberry?] and [
Endfield?]. In the fall of 1861, Nelson
attended a school in
Richmond, Virginia, run by
Heath J. Christian. Most of the letters
to Nelson were written to him from his mother and father, and
brother Frank, while he was away at school, first at
Christian's and then at the
Virginia Military Institute, which he
entered in August of 1863. These letters contain news of life
and events during the Civil War. Nelson's father,
Callender St. George Noland, served as
Commandant of the battery at
Mulberry Island Pointdefending the
James River. In his letter January 12,
1862,
Callender Nolandmentions receiving three
dispatches telling him to look for the enemy, who he wishes
would come up and fight or else go on out to sea, and being on
board one of the two steamers stationed near the battery to
protect the
James River.
Other letters to Nelson mention: selling barrels of corn
and stacks of fodder to the Quartermaster (January 16, 1862);
death of an old slave,
Fanny(January 27, 1863); Dr.
Richard Berkeley(1819-?) accepting the
position of assistant surgeon under Dr. Wiley in the
Confederate Armyand several social
gatherings involving General Pendleton's staff and Captain
Kirkpatrick's Company, and the presence of General [Stuart] at
the wedding of Dr. Fontaine after a ride of forty miles
(February 14, 1863); and the progress of Nelson at school and
his hopes of entering
Virginia Military Institute(August 1,
1863).
Other letters include: news of Colonel Norborne (1823-1911)
and Major
William Noland [Berkeley](1826-1907),
prisoners of war in a hospital in
Baltimore, Maryland, and Captain
Charles [Fenton Berkeley](1832-?), a
prisoner at
Sandusky, Ohio(August 17, 1863); the
selling of
"Endfield"(August 18, and December 3,
1863); the movement of the Army of Northern Virginia to
Tennessee in preparation for a great battle (September 10,
1863); the construction of an ice pond, and mention of Colonel
Norborne Berkeleyat
Johnson's Island(January 4, 1864); the
scarcity of eggs at home, runaway slaves, and difficulty in
slave management (January 18, 1864); a fox chase (February 4,
1864); the hiding of all but one of the horses at
"Airwell"and the "capture" of a "fine
Yankee horse" with a cavalry saddle, lost during the raid upon
Richmondby the Federal forces of Col.
Ulric Dahlgrenand General
Judson Kilpatrick, who had passed the
house on February 28th (March 5, 1864); the
Kilpatrick-Dahlgren raid on
Richmond, short food rations of the
Confederate soldiers in the city and the high cost of food for
the city dwellers of
Richmond(March 9, 1864); his parents
replies to Nelson's proposed resignation from VMI (March 30
and April 2, 1864); Frank's reference to the participation of
the VMI Cadets at the Battle of
New Market(June 7, 1864); the mention of
a cockfight, and
Nick Carter's band of outlaws (July 10,
1865); a description of a military school in
Aiken, South Carolina, by Cadet
Wharton Sinkler(November 8, [ca.
1861-1865]); and a suggestion to seek employment at a foundry
in
Baltimoreor
Philadelphia(September 10, 1866).
Nelson's adult correspondence includes the following
subjects: the murder of
George O'Connor, City Marshall of
Leadville, Colorado(May 7, 1878); a
discussion about dissolving his business partnership with
G.T. McDonaldin
Kokomo, Colorado(February 17, 1882); the
claim of Lt.
Callender Nolandagainst the United States
Government for three months pay for services in the Mexican
War (May 15, 1882); and the claim of
Nelson Nolandagainst the government of
Peru(August 2, 1888).
Beginning in 1889, Nelson's correspondence is mainly about
proposed business deals with the Philadelphian architects
Walter Cope, and
John and E.L. Stewardson, especially the
purchase of the
NewmarketProperty, which contained a
quarry site of red granite. The early correspondence also
discussed a possible wheel and wagon factory, water power
estimates for the property and other calculations, and the
possibilities of business in the "new South" (August 8,
October 31, November 9, 16, 23, 25, and December 26,
1889).
In 1890, Cope wrote Noland concerning: an option on the
Hanover Junctionproperty (January 2); the
possibility of a silk mill (January 19); a description of the
property Noland and Cope wished to purchase (June 23); an
interest in the
North Annaproperty (July 7); the terms
for
D.G. Bibb's Mill property (November 17);
the need for secrecy in purchasing Bibb's property (November
19); the terms to accept
William C. Andersoninto the partnership
with Noland, Cope, and the Stewardsons (November 21); and the
arrangements concerning the quarry and granite company to be
constructed upon the
Newmarketproperty close to the
Verdon RailroadStation (January 29, and
May 6, 1891).
Other topics include:
F.L. Galtabout the opportunities in the
Amazonand
Andesregions (February 4, 1903);
Fannie V. Candler's reference to
Theodore Roosevelt's invitation to
Booker T. Washingtonto dine in the White
House and its effect upon the South in an election year (July
3, 1904); concessions from the Peruvian government for
explorations in
Perufor the purpose of extracting
minerals, especially gold (May 8, 1906); genealogical data
concerning Dr.
[Richard ?] Berkeley's descendants, and
Edgewood, built ca. 1796 (April 3, 1907);
news of "old
Amazonfriends" (July 16 &: 18, 1907);
and a discussion of the possible sale of the
"Edgewood"and
"Airwell"properties with
Thomas Nelson Page(n.d.).
Letters to
William Churchill Noland
Frank Nolandwrites from
Comanche, Texas, to his brother with
tales of the "wild West" (June 4, and December 3, 1876); Other
topics and correspondents include: William's Civil Service
examination and a position in the
Office of Supervising Architect, Treasury
Department(May 17 and July 9, 1889);
Edward E. Hendrickson's training of
architectural draftsmen at the
Spring Garden Institute,
Philadelphia(September 13, 1893);
Thomas Nelson Pageconcerning plans for an
addition to his
Oakland Housein
Hanover Countyand later modifications to
lower costs (August 15 and September 22, 1893); a proposed
trip to
Penzance, England, to visit
William R. Whitmorewho asks him to
procure some Confederate stamps for his son (May 5, 1894);
Frank Nolandand models of his invention,
a "bug machine" (May 22, 1894);
John Stewardson(May 30, 1894); William's
discharge from the architectural firm of
M.J. Dimmockdue to hard times (June 19,
1894);
Francis P. Berkeley's discussion of the
collapse of one of the roofs in the
Rotundaduring its rebuilding and the
coroner's investigation into the resultant death of one of the
workmen, with a sketch of the Rotunda and a newsclipping about
the accident (October 21 &: 25, 1896);
Hilary P. Jonesre the construction of a
house (October 24, and November 7 &: 28, 1919);
H.S. Osbornconcerning plans for
St. Paul's Church,
Miller's Tavern(March 21, 22, &:
April 8, and 17, 1924); and
Fiske Kimball(November 30, 1928).
Letters to
Frank Noland
Most of this correspondence is from Frank's mother,
Mary Edmonia Noland, and was written to
him while he was at
Anderson, Grymes County, Texas(1876
February),
Comanche, Comanche County, Texas(1876
March-July), and
Gainsville, Alabama(1876 August-1877
February) looking for work. News items include: Nelson's
appointment as Deputy U.S. Mineral Surveyor and a description
of trapping (February 17, 1876); a request that each child
keep a personal journal for their descendants, in response to
the nation's centennial (February 25, 1876); the lack of
opportunity in
Californiafor Southern gentlemen
(February 29, 1876); widespread interest in baseball in
Hanover County(March 31, 1876); the long
lasting negative effects of the Civil War upon the state of
Virginia(April 12, 1876); Nelson's
promotion to Chief Engineer of the Mines at
Sts. John, Summit County, Colorado(May 5,
1876); home medical remedies (May 12, 1876); the suggestion
that Frank go into journalism or find work in the
Gainsville, Alabamaarea, near his Uncle
Charles [Noland](June 21, 1876); an
enclosed letter from Nelson describing the mining operations
in
Sts. John, Colorado(August 15, 1876);
description of the staff of the
Ashland News(September 30, 1876); a discussion of the
presidential election of 1876, feelings of political
instability in
Ulysses S. Grant's administration and the
U.S. Government, and suggested reading material for self
improvement (November 13 and December 4, 1876); and efforts to
return Frank to
Virginiato work (February 15, 1877).
Miscellaneous correspondence includes: the pedigrees of
several horses (September 15, 1837); a copy of
John Bankhead Magruder's (1810-1871)
reply to
Callender Noland's request to turn over
the battery and stores at
Mulberry Island Pointto the Senior
Officer on duty at
Fort [Powhatan?] and return to the Army
of the Peninsula (November 17, 1861); a letter from General
F.H. Smithat the
Virginia Military Institute(November 25,
1863); and a description of an attack by the Army of the
Potomac upon the house at
"Dewberry"and the surrounding area en
route to
Richmond, Virginia(May 31 and [June]
1864).
The second series of papers contains miscellaneous business
and legal papers of the
Noland family. Of special note are the
papers concerning the settlement of the accounts of
Nelson B. Nolandand
John S. Jamesof the firm of
James and Noland; the settlement of the
account of
Nelson B. Nolandwith
G.T. McDonaldof
Kokomo, Colorado; papers regarding the
estate of
Mary Edmonia Noland; and the memorandum
of agreement between
Nelson B. Nolandand
Elisha Jackson, where Jackson agreed to
live at "
Edgewood, " look after and run the farm
for Noland (September 9, 1910).
The third series consists of miscellaneous papers. The
newsclippings and printed material folder contains undated
pictures of buildings designed by
William C. Nolandand his partner,
including the
New Beth Ahabah Synagogue, the
Jefferson Davis Memorial, the
Richmond and Chesapeake Bay Railway
CompanyTerminal at Broad and Laurel Streets, the
renovation of the
Virginia State Capitol Building,
Richmond, Virginia,
Agnes McClung Hall, Mary Baldwin
Seminary,
Staunton, Virginia,
Eastern State Hospital,
Williamsburg, Virginia,
Joseph Bryan's Residence,
Eagle Point, Virginia, and
St. Paul's Church; obituaries of
Frank Noland(1898) and Major
William N. Berkeley[1907]; a broadside
concerning a Confederate Re-Union in
Fredericksburg, Virginia, on August 23,
1883; and an article about
Carter Berkeley(1939).
Miscellaneous papers contain the baptismal record of
Mary Edmonia Berkeley(1823); a partial
journal of
Elizabeth E. Churchill Berkeley(1824);
and an undated anecdote about General
R. E. Leeat an officer's banquet in
Mexico Cityafter the American Army had
taken the city.
Photographs include those of
Mary Edmonia Berkeley Noland, ["
Edgewood" ?],
St. James Episcopal Church,
Richmond, Virginia, and
William Churchill Noland.