Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA) (1889-2009)
Dates
- Usage: 1889 - 2009
- Usage: 1889 - 2009
- Usage: 1889 - 2009
Historical Note
Founded in 1889, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA) has twenty branches which own and maintain historic properties. In November 1958 the APVA authorized the organization of the Montgomery County branch for the specific purpose of acquiring and restoring Smithfield Plantation, the historic home near Blacksburg in Montgomery County, Virginia, built by William Preston in 1773. In 1959 Mrs. Janie Preston Brockenbrough Lamb, a descendant of Preston, donated Smithfield and 4.5 acres of land to the APVA. Restoration of the building was begun in 1962 when the APVA's Montgomery County Branch raised the funds for renovation and contracted with architects and contractors. Since its foundation, and in more recent years, the organization has had some changes, including the dissolution of branches and the combination of the Montgomery County Branch with the Smithfield Preston Foundation. In 2009, the name was changed to Preservation Virgina.
Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:
Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, Montgomery County Branch Papers
The records largely document the recent history of Smithfield Plantation, ancestral home of the Preston family, focusing particularly on its restoration beginning in 1962. While much of the renovation occurred in the 1960s, many of the records detail other renovation projects done in the 1970s and 1980s. The collection also includes historical and other related documents dating from before the original Preston family's residence at Smithfield.
Roller Valley Mill [Craig County, Virginia] Scrapbook
The Roller Valley Mill [Craig County, Virginia] Scrapbook contains a handwritten survey of the abandoned flour mill done for the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (Montgomery County Branch).