Hinke Younger — Senior Thesis 2023
The majority of my sources for this class will be documents, permits, and eye-witness accounts rather than books or other “traditional academic” sources. For this reason, each post that I upload to this WordPress page will include multiple sources of all kinds and what I have gleaned from them, in addition to timelines, photographs, and citations.
SOURCE SESSION #6: UVA SPECIAL COLLECTIONS & SUMMER SOURCES.
Featured Image: “Letter to Dr. Charles Everette.” John Kelly (1808).
I visited the UVA Albert & Shirley Small Special Collections Library last week to check out some of the sources I tracked down digitally earlier this summer. The library only lets you check out up to six items at a time, and you have to view them in the provided reading room. I chose my first three sources, and have cited them below:
SOURCE: “A Guide to Historic Downtown Charlottesville: Featuring Maps of the Historic Downtown Area Including the Mall and Court Square, Illustrated Parking Areas and Points of Interest, a Shopping and Service Guide, a Narrated Walking Tour of Historic Court Square and the Mall.” Prepared by Downtown Charlottesville, Inc. (1980). Broadside 1980.G85
This pamphlet is one of several I have earmarked at the special collections as “pending/potential interest”. It did provide an interesting map of downtown and some background on surviving buildings, but 418 E was not described in detail. McGuire, Woods, & Battle, the law firm that occupied the building at the time, is also not included in the list of businesses.
SOURCE: “Map of Charlottesville.” Commissioned by the Griddle Green Room (1949).
Surprising in its lack of detail, this map did not provide me any new information. I have included a photo of a large portion of it below.
SOURCE: “Papers of John Kelly.” Written by John Kelly to Opie Norris & Dr. Charles Everette (1908-1913)
I was most excited to learn more about the builder of 418 E, John Kelly. The Virgo library database led me to believe that the letters spanned from 1812-1830, and I hoped they would at least discuss the building. However, the most recent letter was actually mailed in 1813 (13 years before the construction of 418 E). Instead, I read through most of them—either addressed to his nephew, Opie Norris, or Dr. Charles Everette—to look for any mention of slaves. Some words are very difficult to make out, but I have included some potentially illuminating quotes below. Any words or letters I am unsure of are in parentheses.
Letter to Opie Norris. Nov 20th, 1812. Pg 2. “I wish you to examine apair of strong (shars) that one of Mr. Draffins sons has (aw), and let me know what they can be (for/to). For in Richmond, those cost $1122. In Baltimore and (are) very (sail)able here. They are made in Baltimore, N. Duglans shares will not answer this (Martint), or you might lead a (dogin) pair of mens (thang) (shars) for me to make (atine) with, I sell a(m)ber of (leech) shars to Laboring white men, if the Grace of State (a) send it on. No news. ”
Letter to Opie Norris. Apr 2nd, 1813. Pg. 1. “[…]you may add one bag of No. 2 (shot) for Squirrels for my own use, I don’t want them too large. Send them by the number and not by B.S as is customary now—times are very dull, nothing doing but selecting men to march to Richmond, and Norfolk, where I should suppose there was (raseals) enough for defense without calling out honest men.”
Aside from the occasional mention of current events, most of the letters follow a regular pattern:
- Kelly rebukes Opie for failing to correctly manage a business deal
- He provides instructions on how to repair salesman-client relations
- He asks for Opie to buy other items and bring them back to his uncle (squirrel shot, chairs, beans, etc.)
I still have four sources from my summer research that have not yet been featured in source sessions #1-5. They are included below:
SOURCE: “Deed of Easement #000633.” Filed by the Charlottesville City Attorney’s Office (2002).
A deed filed by Gilead Properties in 2002 to provide temporary permission “to construct a brick retaining wall, and a permanent easement and right of way to install and maintain light fixtures to the 5th Street side of Grantor’s property.” The easement allowed them to build the brick walls which now hold in the garden.
SOURCE: “City of Charlottesville Real Property Card.” Created by City of Charlottesville (1881).
This card is a little confusing as the dates don’t quite line up, but I believe it to go back to 1881. W.R. Burnley and E. Vernon are listed as owning the property on “6-8-81”; the People’s National Bank is listed as owning the property on “11-21-50”; and Court Square Building Inc is listed as purchasing the building on “5-20-21”. The most recent marking on the card is dated 1978, but the card is clearly older: it still has a section to “designate” whether the owner is “white” or “colored”.
SOURCE: “Charlottesville (Albemarle County, VA) City Directory.” Published by the Hill Directory Company (1956-1974).
The ACHS keeps these directories together, with the earliest available volume dating back to the 1910s. I leafed through them to track the 418 E address and the businesses that resided there; however, I did not get page numbers for this information. I will track it down and repost later this fall, along with the citation for the very large deed book.
I’ll be back in September with more source sessions as I begin in-school interviews. I will also post a document shortly with links to my bibliography, property timeline, proposal, and project timeline. Thanks!