Skip to Main Content

Religion Collections in Libraries and Archives: Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia

Library of Virginia Archives

Introductory Information

Library of Virginia Archives External

Address: 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219-1905

Telephone numbers:
Archives Reference Services: 804-692-3888
Library Reference Services: 804-692-3777
Special Collections: 804-692-3703

Contact information External

Online catalog External

Digital Collections link External

Access Policies

Hours of service External

Open to the public: Yes

Interlibrary loan: Yes

Reference policy: Reference requests are accepted by:  telephone, email, in person.  In-house researchers must obtain a Library of Virginia card in order to use archival and special collections items.

Background note:
The Library was established in 1823 by the General Assembly of Virginia.

Content

Books and monographs
About 2,100 items dating from 1700 to the present, with an emphasis on Virginia church history, ministers, and religion in Virginia during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Periodicals and newspapers
About 10 titles, dating from the 1800s to present, with an emphasis on Virginia church history and vital statistics (births, deaths, marriages).

Archives, manuscripts, correspondences, and/or oral histories
The collection is dated from the 17th through the 20th century, with the largest portion being in the 19th and 20th centuries. The collection includes both original documents, photocopies, and over 200 reels of microfilm reproductions. A special highlight is the Calendar of Religious Petitions presented to the General Assembly, 1774-1802, which contains petitions on such topics as the opposition to church taxation, the emancipation of slaves, and the organization and incorporation of churches. There are also records from over 300 churches dating from the 17th to the 20th century, primarily from the state of Virginia. Denominations represented are Baptists, Catholics, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Episcopalians, Friends, Lutheran and German Reformed Church, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Unitarian-Universalists. Records include minute and vestry books, unpublished church histories, and parish registers. The researcher will find documented in these sources vital statistics, theological issues, and church thoughts on such concerns as slavery, race relations, the civil war, and women.The collection is dated from the 17th through the 20th century, with the largest portion being in the 19th and 20th centuries. The collection includes both original documents, photocopies, and over 200 reels of microfilm reproductions. A special highlight is the Calendar of Religious Petitions presented to the General Assembly, 1774-1802, which contains petitions on such topics as the opposition to church taxation, the emancipation of slaves, and the organization and incorporation of churches. There are also records from over 300 churches dating from the 17th to the 20th century, primarily from the state of Virginia. Denominations represented are Baptists, Catholics, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Episcopalians, Friends, Lutheran and German Reformed Church, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Unitarian-Universalists. Records include minute and vestry books, unpublished church histories, and parish registers. The researcher will find documented in these sources vital statistics, theological issues, and church thoughts on such concerns as slavery, race relations, the civil war, and women.

Vertical files
Over 10 files of materials, mainly from the 19th and 20th centuries, concerning temples, churches, convents, church-supported homes for the aged in Richmond, and the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board.

Images
This collection includes pictures, but mainly photographs, of some Virginia churches dating from the 17th to 20th centuries

Maps
9 maps dating from 1607 to 1943. These maps are from the Society of Friends, the Episcopal Church, and the Baptist Church.

Databases and/or electronic resources
Databases & eBooks External
Research Guides and Indexes External

Digital collections External

Subject Headings

African American Churches – Virginia; Baptist Church--Virginia; Catholic Church--Virginia; Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)--Virginia; Church buildings--Virginia; Church history--Virginia;  Church Records and Registers – Virginia; Clergy--Virginia; Episcopal Church--Virginia; German Reformed Church--Virginia; Great Awakening; Judaism--Virginia; Lutheran Church--Virginia; Methodist Church--Virginia; Pacifism--Religious aspects; Presbyterian Church--Virginia; Revivals; Society of Friends--Virginia; Unitarian Universalist churches--Virginia; Women and religion

Bibliography