Records of the Virginia 350th Anniversary Commission, 1953-1958

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
Restrictions:

There are no restrictions.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions.

Preferred citation:

Records of the Virginia 350th Anniversary Commission, 1953-1958. Accession 25869, State government records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Summary

Creator:
Virginia 350th Anniversary Commission
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Records of the Virginia 350th Anniversary Commission, 1953-1958. Accession 25869, State government records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Background

Scope and content:

Contains correspondence, brochures, programs, reports, press releases, architectural drawings, maps and newspaper articles that document the planning, fundraising and construction that occurred prior to the 350th anniversary celebration in 1957 of the first landing at Jamestown, Virginia.

Biographical / historical:

The 350th Anniversary Commission was created by an act of the General Assembly passed on April 3, 1954 to develop and coordinate the plans of public and private agencies to commemorate the landing of the first colonists at Jamestown. Seventeen members were appointed to the commission for terms to expire December 31, 1957. In conformity with the act, an executive director, Mr. Parke Rouse, was named and a non-profit corporation, the Virginia 350th Anniversary Celebration Corporation, was created. The U.S. Congress also created the U.S. Jamestown-Williamsburg-Yorktown Celebration Commission to work in conjunction with the state commission.

The commission organized a celebration of nationwide interest and lasting value. The 1957 observance was known as "The Jamestown Festival" and the promotion was directed at the entire nation. The work of the commission divided itself into five major functions. The first was the development of a continuing central program for the eight month festival including exhibits, living history, religious functions, commemorative items, and cultural and entertainment events. The second function was to develop special commemorative events for specific celebrations. Thirdly, the commission sought to conduct research, direct archaeological exploration, perform microfilming of archival material and produce scholarly publications in order to define more clearly the importance of Jamestown and the contribution of Virginia settlers. One of the major accomplishments in this area was the creation of the Virginia Colonial Records Project to microfilm the colonial records of Virginia in housed British repositories. The fourth of the major efforts was to provide buildings and grounds essential to the central program, which resulted in the construction of Jamestown Festival Park, complete with information center, exhibit hall, and full-scale reconstructions of the three ships that brought the first colonists. The last major function of the commission was to coordinate the efforts of government agencies, localities, educational institutions, other historic sites, and cultural, professional and trade organizations.

In March 1958 the General Assembly passed an act to create the Jamestown Foundation to administer the development and operation of Jamestown Festival Park. The name of the foundation was changed to the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation on July 1, 1976.

Acquisition information:
Transferred by Mrs. J. M. Larson, Records Officer, Jamestown Foundation, Williamsburg, Virginia, 09/24/1963.
Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into the following series:

  • Series I. General files, 1953-1958

is alphabetical by subject.

Physical description:
12 cu. ft. (33 boxes, 1 map case drawer)