Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials. Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open to research.

Existence and Location of Copies

Some of this collection has been digitized and is available online.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Preston Family (Charles Peale Didier Collection) Papers, Ms1985-020, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Preston Family (Charles Peale Didier Collection) Papers were donated to Special Collections in 1985. Additional materials were donated in March and April 1990. Later additions are denoted by folder numbers containing the letter "a."

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Preston Family (Charles Peale Didier Collection) Papers commenced and was completed in 1985. Additional materials were processed, arranged, and described in 1990. Some addition description and arrangement was completed in November 2014.

Administrative History

Founded in 1889, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA) has twenty branches which own and maintain historic properties. In November 1958 the APVA authorized the organization of the Montgomery County branch for the specific purpose of acquiring and restoring Smithfield Plantation, the historic home near Blacksburg in Montgomery County, Virginia, built by William Preston in 1773. In 1959 Mrs. Janie Preston Brockenbrough Lamb, a descendant of Preston, donated Smithfield and 4.5 acres of land to the APVA. Restoration of the building was begun in 1962 when the APVA's Montgomery County Branch raised the funds for renovation and contracted with architects and contractors. Since its foundation, and in more recent years, the organization has had some changes, including the dissolution of branches and the combination of the Montgomery County Branch with the Smithfield Preston Foundation. In 2009, the name was changed to Preservation Virgina.

Scope and Content

The Didier Collection of Preston Family Papers includes papers of James Patton, Patton's grandson William Preston, and Preston's eldest son, John Preston, all of Montgomery County, Virginia. The Preston family was important in the surveying, settlement, military affairs, and government of Southwest Virginia in the 18th and 19th centuries. Their papers consist of business and legal documents, surveys, and correspondence. Much of the collection relates to John Preston (1764-1827), treasurer of the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1810 to 1819. For further information on the Preston family, see John F. Dorman, The Prestons of Smithfield and Greenfield in Virginia (1982).

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in series by individual or family name. Within each series, materials are arranged chronologically with undated materials at the end.

Materials relating to James Patton are in Box 1, Folders 1-4. Those relating to William Preston (1729-83) are in Box 1, Folders 5-13. John Preston materials are in Box 2, Folders 1-39, and materials relating to members of his family in Box 2, Folders 40-41. Box 3 contains miscellaneous and unidentified papers. Wherever possible, materials are arranged chronologically.

Related Material

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Blacksburg (Va.)
• Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
• Montgomery County (Va.)
• Preston family (Montgomery County, Va.)
• Preston, Susanna Smith, 1740-1823
• Women -- History

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Preston Family (Charles Peale Didier Collection) Papers by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).