Perkins & Perkins Law Firm Records

Access and use

Location of collection:
University of Virginia, Special Collections Dept.
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
University of Virginia
P.O. Box 400110
160 McCormick Rd
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Brenda Gunn
Phone: (434) 924-1037
Phone: (434) 243-1776
Fax: (434) 924-4968
Restrictions:

This collection is open for research use.

Preferred citation:

Perkins and Perkins Law Firm records, MSS 4407, 1751, 1835-1920, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Virginia.

Summary

Extent:
18.5 Cubic Feet 36 legal document boxes, 12 ledgers and one small oversize folder (14" x 18')
Creator:
Perkins, George, 1847-1918 and Perkins, W. Allan, 1880-1960
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Perkins and Perkins Law Firm records, MSS 4407, 1751, 1835-1920, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Virginia.

Background

Scope and content:

The records chiefly contain legal correspondence, financial and legal documents and bound folio volumes from the law firm of Perkins and Perkins, consisting of George Perkins and his son, W. Allan Perkins, 1903-1916.

In addition, some legal correspondence and documents represent the service of George Perkins as attorney for the City of Charlottesville, 1904-1916. There is very little personal correspondence or documents in these records.

Topics include:

Property and License Tax Controversy with Telephone, Telegraph and Express Companies; Strattan Case and the street through the property of the Charlottesville Ice Company, Folder 1 (1901-1902)

McKee Stree issue; the Federal Building and Leterman, Folder 2 (1902-1904)

Street Improvement Bonds; Charlottesville v Bishop; and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Depot, Folder 3 (1903-1904)

Street Car Company Report; Failes v City of Charlottesville; the Water Main through the Carter property; the account of Albemarle County with the City of Charlottesville; and Patrick Grady lawsuit, Folder 4 (1904-1906)

Greaver v City of Charlottesville; and City Gas Works Lease, Folder 5 (1906)

Late Due Notices for Oakwood Cemetery Lots with lists of purchasers, noting both white and African American buyers, threatening to remove bodies from unpaid lots; and a bond issue for a Gas Plant, Folder 6 (1908?-1912)

Items include a page from a Bible with notes on significant family events for the Mallam, Neil and Hays families (circa 1751-1803); two letters about the finances of Annie Byrd and Edward Alexander Watson (1899); the marriage license of two African Americans, Moses Brooks and Mildred Lewis (1902); 3 insurance policies for "Nimrod Hall," Bath County (1903-1904); a broadside "University of Virginia Students. Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865. Reunion of June 10-12, 1912"; a delegate certificate of Major Channing M. Bolton to the Atlantic Deeper Waterways Association Convention (1917); Sketch Map to accompany the Report on Remick-Waters Soapstone property (1911); and a printed notice about the Charlottesville City Democratic Primary (undated).

Biographical / historical:

George Perkins (1847-1918) was a lawyer in Charlottesville, Virginia, and attorney for the City of Charlottesville from November 18, 1896 to January 1, 1915. George was born in Cumberland County, Virginia, to William Allen Perkins and Ann Henderson. Having joined the Confederate forces during the Civil War, he attended the University of Virginia from 1865-1868. He then married Eliza Norris Watson, and they had at least three children, Hay W. Perkins, Annie H. Perkins, and W. Allan Perkins. Perkins apparently shared a legal practice with Judge E.R. Watson (deceased 1887) after graduating from the University of Virginia. George Perkins was a also a member of the Presbyterian Church of Charlottesville and served as an Elder (1888-1918) and a Clerk of Session (beginning in 1890).

George Perkins was joined in his law practice by his son, W. Allan Perkins (1880-1960), soon after Allan studied law at the University of Virginia and graduated around 1903. W. Allan Perkins was married to Lizzie Hazlehurst Bolton Perkins and their children were Hazelhurst Bolton Perkins (1911-1923) and William Allen Perkins, Jr. (1925-2014). Allan Perkins also represented the University of Virgina as an attorney from about 1915-1952, was Treasurer of the University Alumni Association, served on the Charlottesville School Board and was a director of the Farmington Country Club.

Acquisition information:
The Perkins and Perkins Law Firm records were given to the University of Virginia Library Special Collections on August 4, 1953, by W. Allan Perkins, Charlottesville, Virginia.
Processing information:

Some materials were damaged by water prior to their arrival at the University of Virginia Library. These items have been given extra support with mylar enclosures or file folder inserts.

Arrangement:

The collection has been arranged in three series, 1) Legal Correspondence, 2) Financial and Legal Documents and 3) Bound Folio Volumes and Related Material.

The legal correspondence is arranged alphabetically by last name of correspondent or the company name. All the years of each correspondent have been gathered and filed together.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard