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Petersburg (Va.) Public Buildings and Grounds, 1785, 1819-1891, 1922. Barcode numbers 1152191 and 0007805266. Local government records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.
These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Petersburg Circuit Court under accessions 37622 and 53422.
Additional materials (Barcode number 0007805266) added to series on 22 June 2022.
Petersburg incorporated as a town in 1784. In later years, the towns of Blandford, Pocahontas, and Ravenscroft were added. Incorporated as a city in 1850, Petersburg was enlarged by annexation from both Prince George and Dinwiddie counties in 1972.
Petersburg (Va.) Public Buildings and Grounds, 1785, 1819-1891, 1922. This series consists of jail inspectors reports for the years 1819-1891 and a set of specifications and floor plan for the 1785 courthouse (Barcode number 1152191). It also contains a 1922 floor plan for Addition to City Clerk's Office by architect C. Lai (Barcode number 0007805266).
The 1785 courthouse document has been heavily damaged. Conservation efforts have restored a majority of the record but significant pieces of the drawing and text have been lost. The building is T-shaped with what are likely jury rooms flanking the main courtroom along the facade. The presence of stairs and supports indicate a second or mezzanine floor. The drawing shows a typical 18th century Virginia courthouse floor plan with a raised, U-shaped magistrates' bench, specialized fittings for the sheriff and other court officers, and a bar for the attorneys. The plan is similar to the Amelia County courthouse plan of 1791.