Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Frederick County (Va.) School Records, 1800-1925 (1819-1925). Local government records collection, Frederick County (Va.) Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of records from the Frederick County Circuit Court.

The collection is located at the State Records Center. Contact Archives Research Services staff for access information, directions, and hours.

Historical Information

On February 21, 1818, the Virginia legislature passed a school bill which appropriated $45,000 annually from the Literary Fund for the education of poor children. (The Literary Fund was established in 1810 with passage of a bill to appropriate "certain escheats, confiscated, and forfeited lands" for the "encouragement of learning.") Under the provisions of the 1818 School Act, each county court was required to appoint five to fifteen commissioners to establish and/or administer schools for children of the poor. A more comprehensive public school system was established by the legislature in 1870. It was racially segregated until the mid-twentieth century.

Frederick County was named in honor of Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales and eldest son of George II. It was formed from Orange County in 1738, but, because the region was sparsely settled, county government was not organized until 1743. Part of Augusta County was added later.

Scope and Content

Frederick County (Va.) School Records, 1800-1925 (bulk 1819-1925), are comprised of articles of agreement between county officials and Peter Light, schoolmaster, 1800; records of the Board of School Commissioners for Indigent Children, 1819-1861; minutes of the County Board of School Commissioners, 1884-1888; records of the School Board, 1888-1925, records of the Stonewall District Board of Trustees, 1888-1902; and School Board tax records, 1873-1917. The records consist of annual reports, accounts, teacher contracts and records of salaries paid, meeting minutes, correspondence, deeds, court orders pertaining to school properties, and insurance policies on school properties.

The contract with Peter Light, 1800, stipulates that he keep a good and lawful school for one year in English spelling, Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic for a salary of eight dollars per scholar per quarter.

Board of School Commissioners for Indigent Children reports, 1819-1861, are annual reports documenting the commissioners' use of the county allotment from the state Literary Fund for the education of poor children. They contain detailed accounts, including the names of students whose tuition was paid by the fund, amounts paid for books and other supplies, salaries paid to schoolmasters, names of schoolmasters and number of students taught. Reports for the years 1823 and 1829-1861 also include a narrative summary of the number of schools of various sorts operating in the county, the number of poor children being educated by the Fund, and comments on obstacles to finding students and persuading them to attend school regularly.

Board of School Commissioners minutes, 1884-1888, document the election of school trustees for each of the five school districts in the county and the election of Board officers.

School Board records, 1888-1925, are comprised of insurance policies on school properties, 1893-1895, teacher contracts, 1898-1902, and minutes, letters, deeds, petitions, and court orders records pertaining to school properties, 1913-1925. Schools serving African American children are identified on the Insurance policies.

Stonewall District Board of Trustees records contains minutes and annual reports to the School Board, 1888-1892, and a report to the county treasurer of the days worked and salary earned by each teacher during, 1915 Oct.

School Board Tax Records, 1873-1917, contain correspondence pertaining to state legislation regulating funding for county schools, 1873; records of school levies for Back Creek District, 1892, and Opequon District, 1895; delinquent tax lists for school districts in the county, 1915; and recommended levies for school districts, 1873 and 1914-1917.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Frederick County (Va.). Board of School Commissioners for Indigent Children.
• Frederick County (Va.). Board of School Commissioners.
• Frederick County (Va.). Circuit Court.
• Virginia. Literary Fund -- Appropriations and expenditures -- 19th century.

Subjects:

• Government aid to education -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Poor children -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Public schools -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• School reports -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Schools -- records and correspondence -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Students -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Teachers -- Virginia -- Frederick County.

Geographical Names:

• Frederick County (Va.) -- History.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Accounts -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Annual reports -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Contracts -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Financial records -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Insurance policies -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Local government records -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Minute books -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Petitions -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• School records -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Tax and fiscal records -- Virginia -- Frederick County.