Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Nelson County (Va.) School Records, 1871-1876, circa. Local government records collection, Nelson County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Nelson County.

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

Historical Information

The first comprehensive public school system in Virginia was established by the Constitution of 1870. Public schools were segregated by race until the mid-twentieth century.

Nelson County was named for Thomas Nelson Jr., governor of Virginia from June to November 1781. It was formed in 1807 from Amherst County.

Scope and Content

Nelson County (Va.) School Records, 1871-1876, circa, contain monthly and term reports of teachers working in Nelson County public schools, 1871-1876, circa; articles of agreement (contracts) between teachers and the Board of District School Trustees, contracts, 1871-1875, circa; and an annual report of the clerk of the Board of School Trustees for the school year ending 1872 Aug. 31.

The teacher reports, 1871-1876, circa, are monthly and term reports of teachers working in the Greenfield, Lovingston, Montreal, and Nelson school districts in the Nelson County public schools. The monthly reports document number of days taught, enrollment, and attendance, names and numbers of students enrolled in each subject, and the number of outside visits to the school. The term reports contain summaries of data, but not individual student names and records. They report number of months in the term, number days school was open, whether school was "white" or "colored," number of pupils, boys and girls, on the roll during the term, average daily attendance for boys and girls, and percentage attendance for boys and girls.

The articles of agreement between teachers and the Board of District School Trustees, 1871-1875, circa, outline annual terms of employment for teachers, including length of school tem, compensation, to be paid monthly.

The annual report of the clerk of the Board of District School Trustees for the year ending 1872 Aug. 31 contains data on the school population and money spent on schools. The data includes number of students enrolled ("white" and "colored," male and female), number of schools, number of teachers, male and female, number of school houses, whether log, frame, or brick, and number of schools yet needed.

Related Material

Additional Nelson County School Records can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Nelson County (Va.) Board of District School Trustees.
• Nelson County (Va.) Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• Education -- Curricula -- Virginia -- Nelson County.
• Public schools -- Virginia -- Nelson County.
• Rural schools -- Virginia -- Nelson County.
• Schools -- records and correspondence -- Virginia -- Nelson County.
• Segregation in education -- Virginia -- Nelson County.

Geographical Names:

• Nelson County (Va.)--History--19th century.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Accounts -- Virginia -- Nelson County.
• Annual reports -- Virginia -- Nelson County.
• Articles of agreement -- Virginia -- Nelson County.
• Attendance records -- Virginia -- Nelson County.
• Local government records -- Virginia -- Nelson County.
• Monthly reports -- Virginia -- Nelson County.
• School records -- Virginia-- Nelson County.

Adjunct Descriptive Data