Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Isle of Wight County Museum Collection of P. D. Gwaltney, Jr., and Company Records, 1860-1970. Accession 50200. Business records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Loaned for microfilming by the Isle of Wight County Museum, Smithfield, Virginia.

Historical Information

In 1870, P. D. Gwaltney Sr. (1836-1915) moved from Surry County, Virginia, to Smithfield, Isle of Wight County, Virginia, and there established a retail and mercantile business, Gwaltney and Delk, with cousin O. G. Delk. Among other things, the business produced and sold a uniquely cured and smoked product called the "Smithfield Ham." The business became known as P. D. Gwaltney and Company in 1875, with Gwaltney retaining the store, smokehouse, shed, and wharf property. About 1880, he took on a partner to form Gwaltney, Chapman and Company. This partnership was dissolved in 1882.

P. D. Gwaltney Sr. and P. D. Gwaltney Jr. (1861-1936) then formed P. D. Gwaltney, Jr., and Company, a retail and wholesale business dealing in dry goods, groceries, Smithfield Hams, liquor, fertilizers, and other items. Over time, the company began to focus solely on the curing and packing of pork. The company changed its name to Gwaltney Inc. in 1957, and then to ITT Gwaltney in 1970, when it was purchased by International Telephone and Telegraph, Inc. On 27 October 1981, the company became a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, Inc., and the name was changed to Gwaltney of Smithfield, Ltd.

Scope and Content

Records, 1860-1970 of P. D. Gwaltney, Jr., and Company and its predecessor and successor companies of Isle of Wight County, Virginia, consisting of account books, cash books, daybooks, encyclopedias, financial records, freight manifests, invoices, ledgers, letter books, minute books, stock lists, and other business records detailing the operations of P. D. Gwaltney, Jr., and Company and its related firms. Collection also contains volumes of other businesses which worked with Gwaltney in its operations as well as other businesses in Isle of Wight County. Collection also contains an inventory of old homes in Isle of Wight County.