Newport News, City of/Warwick County (Va.) Business Records, 1881-1951

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

Extent:
18 volumes
Creator:
Newport News (Va.) Circuit Court
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Newport News, City of/Warwick County (Va.) Business Records, 1881-1951, is comprised of various records created by individuals and companies in pursuit of documenting business activities in and around Newport News (Va.). Represented records largely consists of bound volumes such as ledgers, stock books, minute books, sales books, deed books, and contract books.

Biographical / historical:

Context for Record Type: Business Records, both volumes and loose records, are in some cases transferred to the Library of Virginia as components of court record transfers. These business records in some cases were simply stored in the local court building for safe keeping by business owners. In other cases, business records (particularly ledgers, account books, etc.) may have been filed in a court case as an exhibit. These business record exhibits appeared both in chancery causes and in judgments, these records serving as exhibits for business dissolution cases, debut suits, and contract disputes.

Locality History: City of Newport News was located in Warwick County, which is now extinct. The origin of the name is uncertain but the phrase "Newportes News" appeared in documents as early as 1619 and probably commemorated Christopher Newport, who made five voyages to Virginia between 1607 and 1619. Newport News was a small settlement until late in the nineteenth century, when it became the eastern terminus of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. The Old Dominion Land Company bought land there in 1880 and began laying out a new village in October. Newport News was incorporated as a city by act of the General Assembly in 1896 without ever having been incorporated as a town. On 1 July 1958 Newport News was enlarged by consolidation with the city of Warwick, which then became extinct.

Lost Locality Notes:Recognized as Warwick River County, one of the original shires, in 1634; the name was shortened to Warwick in 1643. County court records were destroyed at several times with most destruction occurring during the Civil War. The clerk's office was burned on 15 December 1864. County court minute books and loose records from 1787 to 1819 were destroyed by the fire. Additional records were burned in Richmond on 3 April 1865, where they had been moved for safekeeping during the Civil War.

Acquisition information:
These records came to the Library of Virginia in transfers of court papers from Newport News in an undated accession.
Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into four series:

  • Series I: The Old Dominion Land Company Business Records, 1881-1949
  • Series II: The Peninsula Automobile Association Business Records, 1919-1921
  • Series III: The Savings Bank of Newport News Business Records, 1901-1904
  • Series IV: The Warwick Machines Company Business Records, 1918-1951

Physical location:
State Record Center-Archives Annex, Library of Virginia
Physical description:
.