Bibliography

The following is a comprehensive list of bibliographical references relevant to researchers interested in studying the history of Proffit, Virginia.  Although the entries below refer specifically to Proffit, researchers interested in conducting similar projects in other parts of the country may find this list useful as a starting point for becoming familiar with the types of resources that may be available to them.

The entries below are organized according to the following categories:
  1. Interviews and meetings with current Proffit residents;
  2. Documents produced by historical and contemporary residents of Proffit;
  3. Other historical documents related to researching this topic; and
  4. Recent documents and scholarship about—or relevant to—the study of Proffit’s history.

Some of the items listed below exist in this online archive.  These references have ‘hotlinks’ directly to the online file.  Simply click on them in order to view the desired document(s).

 

Interviews & Meetings: (samples of these can be found online in the ‘Interviews’ section)   [return to top] [go to bottom]	Brown, Maggie L. Interview date: November 3, 2001. Excerpts available online. Audiotapes are on file at the Woodson Institute. Johnson, Pauline L. Interview dates: June 14, 2000; June 13, 2001; June 26, 2001; July 5, 2001. Excerpts available online. Audiotapes are on file at the Woodson Institute. Leake, Preston H. Interview dates: July 24, 2001; July 25, 2001. Excerpts available online. Audiotapes are on file at the Woodson Institute. Martin, Marion. Interview dates: March 25, 2001; May 20, 2001; July 3, 2001; July 25, 2001. Excerpts available online. Audiotapes are on file at the Woodson Institute. Payne, James E. Interview dates: November 25, 2000; December 2, 2000; December 23, 2000; January 20, 2001; July 7, 2001; November 3, 2001. Excerpts available online. Audiotapes are on file at the Woodson Institute. Tinsley, Mary P. Tour of Proffit: May 30, 2000. In attendance: Mieka Brand, Larnell Flannagan, Eddie Howard and Mary Tinsley. Digital and analog copies of the videotape are on file at the Carter G. Woodson Institute. Group meeting, 1997 In attendance: Maggie Brown, Seth Graves, Pauline Johnson, Marian Martin, and Mary Tinsley. Copy of videotape is on file at the Carter G. Woodson Institute. Group meeting, May 28, 2000. In attendance: Mieka Brand, Larnell Flannagan, Scot French, Pauline Johnson, Marian Martin, James Payne, and Mary Tinsley. Audiotape and discussion outline are on file at the Carter G. Woodson Institute. Proffit Community Association annual picnic, September 24, 2000. Videotape is on file at the Carter G. Woodson Institute.
Documents Produced by Proffit’s Residents:   [return to top] [go to bottom]	Coles, Kate (Flannagan)    ca. 1904, 1928-1940  Papers of Kate (Flannagan) Coles. A collection of documents, including correspondences and memories of life on the Gale Hill plantation written by Kate Flanagan Coles, resident of Proffit. These materials can be found on this website.  The collection held in the Special Collections Department at the University of Virginia library. Dabney, James Cabell    1990  “Memoirs of James Cabell Dabney (1875-1961).”  Annotated by Mary Hosmer Lupton, Transcribed by Mary Beverley Dabney and William Minor Dabney.  In Magazine of Albemarle County History 48:59-105. Recollections of Dabney’s life growing up at Gale Hill. Evergreen Baptist Church, Proffit, Virginia    1988  The One Hundredth Anniversary of Evergreen Baptist Church Proffit, Virginia, 1888-1988; The Thirty-Ninth Anniversary of The Pastor Dr. George E. Blakey; Theme: “We’ve come this far by faith, dedicated to the Glory of God.” Bulletin produced by the church in honor of the 100th anniversary of its foundation.  The document includes an introduction by the president of the Student Union, a 4-page history of the church, a note of congratulation from Ebenezer Baptist Church in Charlottesville and a list of late members to be remembered by the congregation.  A copy of the bulletin can be found online. Gale Hill Residents    [Various dates]  a compilation of documents and recollections written by various residents at Gale hill, including “Rambling Reminiscences” by Kate Coles (1934), “Christmas at Gale Hill” by E. C. Williston (1940), and many more. A copy of this 93-page document is on file at the Carter G. Woodson Institute. Gerke, Fred C.    2000 Address given at the June 24, 2000 unveiling of the Proffit Historic District Highway Marker. A copy of this address is on file at the Carter G. Woodson Institute. Hitchcock, John Sawyer    1919-1929  Diaries of John Sawyer Hitchock. “The diaries were kept by Hitchcock after his retirement to a small farm near Proffit, Va.  Several of the volumes contain only brief listings of the daily production of eggs, milk and butter.  Others give a more detailed account of his activities, including medicine taken while convalescing from a serious illness.  Several Charlottesville residents are mentioned as visitors. A few photographs are inserted.”  The diaries can be found at the University of Virginia library.  Call number: MSS 9822, 9822-a. Howard, Marcha Payne    2000 Address given at the June 24, 2000 unveiling of the Proffit Historic District Highway Marker. A copy of this address is on  file at the Carter G. Woodson Institute. Leake, Lydia Viola Cox    1967  “Things I Recall of My Parents.”  Unpublished manuscript. Privately owned by Mrs. Leake’s son, Preston Leake. Leake, Preston H., compiler.    1996  “Some Descendants of William Leake, ~1760-1808 and his wife, Priscilla ~1760-1816.  Privately printed. Minor, John B.    1923  The Minor Family of Virginia.  Lynchburg: J. P. Bell. Minor Family Papers Over 6,000 items dating as far back as 1764 and as recent as 1936.  Located at the Special Collections department at the University of Virginia. Minor, Louisa H. A.    1855-1865  Louisa H. A. Minor Diary. “Personal diary of this woman who lived at ‘Pant-Ops’ in Albemarle County.  Of special interest are comments about freed slaves emigrating to Liberia in December 1856, talk of insurrection among the slaves in the same month, and general disparaging comments about freed slaves in December 1865.”  Located at the Special Collections department at the University of Virginia. Proffit Community Association    2000  Invitation to attend an Unveiling Ceremony for the Proffit Historic District Highway Marker at Evergreen Baptist Church, June 24, 2000 and Program of the Ceremony. On file at the Carter G. Woodson Institute.
Other Related (Historical) Documents and Scholarship:   [return to top] [go to bottom]	Albemarle County Circuit Court.  Clerk’s office.  Deed Books, Chancery Orders, Land Books. Bitting, Samuel T.    1915  Rural Land Ownership Among the Negroes of Virginia with a Special Reference to Albemarle County.  Publication of the University of Virginia Phelps-Stokes Fellowship Papers (Number Two). Carr, Hugh Thomas    1976  My First Eighty Years on the Planet Earth.  Claremont Harbor, MS: Privately Printed. Charlottesville Chronicle. Various issues. This newspaper was published intermittently from 1866 to 1904, first as a tri-weekly and eventually as a daily newspaper.  Copies of some relevant items can be found in the ‘News Clips’ section.  Microfilm and hard copies can be found at the University of Virginia library (call number Micfilm N-US Va-5), or in the Special Collections Department. Coleman, Elizabeth Dabney    1944  “Peter Carr of Carr’s-Brook (1770-1815).”  In Papers of the Albemarle County Historical Society, Vol. IV (1943-44):5-23. Item can be found at the Albemarle County Historical Society, Charlottesville, Virginia. Freedman’s Bureau Records “A microfilm copy of the records of Charlottesville and Albemarle County made from the originals in the National Archives.”  Located on microfilm at the University of Virginia. Call Number: M-632. Gee, Wilson, P. B. Barringer, A. L. Bennett, Ottie Craddock, Elizabeth Fahrney, Odie Mayhew, Mable Nussman and C. F. Whitmore    1922  University of Virginia Record Extension Series: An Economic and Social Survey of Albemarle County.  Charlottesville: University of Virginia. Hedges, Dr. Halstead S.    1943  “A Doctor’s Reminiscences of Albemarle County.”  In Papers of the Albemarle County Historical Society, Vol. III (1942-43):5-16. Item can be found at the Albemarle County Historical Society, Charlottesville, Virginia. Irwin, Marjorie Felice    1929  The Negro in Charlottesville and Albemarle County: An Exploratory Study.  Publication of the University of Virginia Phelps-Stokes Fellowship Papers (Number Nine).  “A Thesis Presented to the Academic Faculty of the University of Virginia In Candidacy for the Degree of Master of Arts 1929.” Includes approximately 1½  pages about Proffit Town (or relevant to Proffit).  Provides information about landscape, house structure, and household layouts of places where African Americans were living in the first part of the 20th century, as well as some info about the economic role of African Americans in and around Charlottesville, including Proffit.  A copy of the book can be found online, as well as at the University of Virginia library.  Call numbers: UVA 3/P 51/9 and E 185.93 .V8 I72 1929. Jeffersonian Republican. Various issues. This newspaper was published weekly from 1835 to 1862, and semi-weekly from 1873 to 1894 and was aimed mostly at the University of Virginia student body, although occasional entries pertained to non-student issues.  Copies of some relevant items can be found in the ‘News Clips’ section.  Microfilm and hard copies can be found at the University of Virginia library (call number Micfilm N-US Va-48), or in the Special Collections Department. Leap, William Lester    1933  Red Hill—Neighborhood Life and Race Relations in a Rural Section. Publication of the University of Virginia Phelps-Stokes Fellowhip Papers, Number 10.  William Lester Leap was a Phelps-Stokes Fellow during 1929-1930. Rawlings, Mary    1935  Ante-Bellum Albemarle.  Historical Sketches by Mary Rawlings, Drawings by H. Heyward and A. Robinson. This book contains drawings and short descriptions of some of the wealthy houses around Albmarle County.  Among these are included Bentivar, Glen Echo and various other houses in the Proffit vicinity.  This book is held by the Albemarle County Historical Society, Charlottesville, VA. Richmond Planet. Various issues. This newspaper was published weekly from 1883 to 1945 and catered specifically to the interests and concerns of African Americans. The Planet was published in Richmond but covered also outlying areas including Albemarle County.  Copies of some relevant items can be found in the ‘News Clips’ section.  Microfilm and hard copies can be found at the University of Virginia library (call number Micfilm N-US Va-11), or in the Special Collections Department. Russell, James S.    1926  Rural Economic Progress of the Negro in Virginia. In Journal of Negro History, Volume 11, Issue 4 (October, 1926), 556-562. This article describes the successes achieved by African Americans in Virginia in the sixty years since emancipation.  The article details such statistics as the amounts of land that had been purchased, the value of the land and other assets held by African Americans, and other factors which the author uses to demonstrate a successful transition. Southall, James P. C.    1944  “Reminiscences of Charlottesville in the 1880’s.”  In Papers of the Albemarle County Historical Society, Vol. IV (1943-44):24-34. Item can be found at the Albemarle County Historical Society, Charlottesville, Virginia. United States Bureau of the Census    Albemarle County Returns for 1840, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920. (1890 returns for Virginia were destroyed by fire). Aside from pertinent information about the people who lived in Proffit, the US Census provides insight also into residents’ lifeways and activities, especially as they pertained to agriculture.  The 1880 census, for example, lists John Coles, Ben Brown, James Lot, James Flannagan and W. W. Minor all within one 10-house group and provides information about the number of acres owned by each, types of agriculture and horticulture and labor invested in the land. Portions of the census records are avialble online. The entire documents can be found at the University of Virginia library. A Virginian    1855  A Southern Home.  Richmond: A. Morris. The book—published anonymously in the Antebellum period—describes in detail the daily lives of affluent whites living in the South in this period.  The book is presumed to have been written by Clarissa Carr Woodson, who resided at Bentivar.  Two Chapters, “An Old Servant” and “Servants,” can be viewed on this website.  A copy of the book is held by the University of Virginia library.  Call number: PZ7 .S7 1855. Waddell, W. W.    1942  “Charlottesville in 1875.”  In Papers of the Albemarle County Historical Society, Vol. II (1941-42):5-8. This item can be found at the Albemarle County Historical Society, Charlottesville, Virginia. Wilson, Susan Colston.  Susan Colston Wilson Papers. “ca. 1,000 items, 1895-1960.  Personal, financial, and legal correspondence of the Minor family of Charlottesville and the Wilson family of New Jersey.  Included are photographs of Afro-Americans who were servants for the Minor family).”  Located at the Special Collections department at the University of Virginia. Call Number: 10489. Woods, Edgar    1978 [1901]  Albemarle County in Virginia: Giving some account of what it was by nature, of what it was made by man, and of some of the men who made it.  C. J. Carrier Company, Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Recent Documents and Scholarship:   [return to top] [go to bottom]	Brand, Mieka    2000  “17¢ Away From Charlottesville: Interviews with James E. Payne in Proffit Virginia”  Student project prepared under the direction of Charles and Nancy Perdue, Fall 2000. This paper can be viewed online. Chambers, Sean Pierre    1991  “Talking with Betty Tyree, Age 102: An Independent Study.”  Student  project prepared under the direction of Charles and Nancy Perdue, 1991. This paper records and discusses an interview with a long-time resident of Eastham, Virginia, which neighbors Proffit Town. Carter G. Woodson Institute    2000  The Proffit Historic District On-Line Resource Archive: African-American Community Life in Albemarle County, Virginia, 1870-1940.  Grant proposal submitted to the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities’ African American Heritage Trail, Spring 2000. Carter G. Woodson Institute    2000  National Register of Historic Places Registration Form submitted to the  United States Department of the Interior National Park Service. A copy of the original document submitted for registration of Proffit as an Historic District.  The document includes descriptions of the site, building inventory, a history of the town, list of bibliographical references, photos of existing structures and a topographic map of the area. Dames & Moore    1995  Final Report: Historical Architectural Survey of Albemarle County  Villages.  Submitted by Dames & Moore, Bethesda, MD to Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Richmond, VA. Prepared for the Department of Planning & Community Development, Charlottesville VA. October 1995. This report includes a chapter focusing on Proffit, and especially on the historical buildings that still stand there.  The chapter consists mostly of maps, short descriptions, and photographs.  This document is held by the Albemarle County Historical Society, Charlottesville, VA. Feldman, Lori, Martin Perdue and Margaret Pearson Mickler    1977  “The Buck Mountain Road, Albemarle County.” Student project prepared under the direction of Professor K. Edward Lay. Virginia Road Traces number 2 volume 3. Fiske Kimball Fine Arts Library, University of Virginia. Frierson, Melinda B.    1998  Background History of the Village of Proffit, in Albemarle County, Virginia.  Researched and written for the Proffit Community Association in the preparation of the historic context statement for nominating the Proffit Historic District to the Virginia Landmark Register and the National Register of Historic Places. March 1998. A 21-page document that consolidates previous writings on Proffit town and details its history.  The document provides an overview of the town and is useful as an introduction to the Proffit’s history. Hase, Edward W., II and Robert M. Hubbard    1988  “Adolph Russow and the Monticello Wine Company.” In Magazine of Albemarle History 46 (May 1988):17-28. Liebman, Rosanna Gene and Matilda McQuaid.    1983  A Study of Ten Black Baptist Churches in Albemarle County.  Prepared for the University of Virginia School of Architecture. This document can be found at the University of Virginia library.  Call number: AIV no. 109 1983. Magazine of Albemarle County History.  Published by the Albemarle County Historical  Society.  Various volumes. Moore, John Hammond    1976  Albemarle: Jefferson’s County: 1727-1976.  Published for the Albemarle County Historical Society by the University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville. Nelson, Wilbur A.    1962  “Geology and Mineral Resources of Albemarle County.” Bulletin 77.  Charlottesville, VA: Virginia Division of Mineral Resources. Pawlett, Nathanial Mason    1975  Albemarle County Road Orders, 1783-1816.  Charlottesville: Virginia  Highways and Transportation Research Council. Pawlett, Nathanial Mason    1981  Albemarle County Roads, 1725-1816.  Charlottesville: Virginia Highways and Transportation Research Council. Sanminiatelli, Maria    2000 “Ivy Creek receives grant to research slave, family.” Article appeared in the Daily Progress newspaper, Region & State / Charlottesville, Virginia section. June 2, 2000. Newspaper write-up on the inauguration ceremony of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities’ African American Heritage Trail.  The article mentions the University of Virginia’s Carter Woodson Institute, but not the Proffit project specifically. Stevens, William T.    N.D.  Virginia House Tour.  Charlottesville: Stevenpost Publications. Snyder, Kristie    2000  “Discovering African-American Heritage.”  Article appeared in The Charlottesville Business Journal, pages 1 and 7. June 2000. Trout, W. E., III    1992  The Rivanna River Scenic Atlas.  Virginia Canals and Navigations Society. United States Post Office Department    1973 “Record of Appointments of Postmasters, Virginia 1832-September 30, 1971.”  Washington: Records Service, General Services Administration. National Archives Microfilm publication M841 Vance, Joseph C.    1953  “Race Relations in Albemarle During Reconstruction.” In The Magazine of Albemarle County History Volume XIII:26-45. Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy    2000  African-American History in Virginia: Program Inauguration, Ivy  Creek Natural Area, Albemarle County, Virginia June 1, 2000. This is the program that was handed out at the reception at Ivy Creak.  It includes the African American History in Virginia Grant Program mission and a list of the March, 2000 grantees. Webb, William E.    1955  Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia 1865-1900.  Dissertation written for the History Department at the University of Virginia. This item is held at the University of Virginia library.  Call number: Diss. 0805.  Wilson, Howard McKnight    1971  The Lexington Presbytery Heritage.  Verona, VA: The Presbytery of Lexington. Wuellner, Margarita Jerabek    1991  Remnants of Late 19th and Early 20th Century Proffit, Va.  Prepared for the University of Virginia School of Architecture and the Proffit Neighborhood Association, May 1991. This Masters thesis in architectural history focuses on the architecture and landscape history of Proffit town.  Pages 4-9 are especially useful for detailed descriptions of 19th-century landscape and household layouts.

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