RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – On Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., the Library of Virginia will offer a virtual presentation on the ambitious 19th-century mapping project that resulted in the publication of the first official map of the Commonwealth — one of the first official state maps in the nation. The talk will explore the efforts and surveying teams involved in producing the detailed manuscript maps of each county that then fed into the engraved Virginia state map — often called “the general map” in correspondence from the time.

Published in 1826, the completed map measured 44 square feet and was a modern document from which Virginia’s Board of Public Works could plan and direct the Commonwealth’s internal improvements.

This event complements the exhibition “Mapping the Commonwealth, 1816–1826,” on view in the Library’s Exhibition Gallery through June 7, 2025. Presenter Cassandra Farrell is the Library of Virginia’s senior map archivist and the exhibition’s curator.

Registration for this event is available on the Library’s calendar at https://lva-virginia.libcal.com/event/13670100. A link to the talk will be sent upon registration.

Find a related image and caption here:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wfwi90asyj5kn8i0326lg/ALTlXWtpe-QOSbwiii_KOyg?rlkey=k6p7e61c12hutgy07o4rnct0g&dl=0
 

ABOUT THE LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA 
The Library of Virginia is the state’s oldest institution dedicated to the preservation of Virginia’s history and culture. Our online offerings attract nearly 4 million website visits per year, and our resources, exhibitions and events bring in nearly 100,000 visitors each year. The Library’s collections, containing more than 130 million items, document and illustrate the lives of both famous Virginians and ordinary citizens. The Library is located in downtown Richmond near Capitol Square at 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219. Learn more at www.lva.virginia.gov.

###