Administrative Information

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Preferred Citation

A.L. Adamson Real Estate Company. Records, 1883-1960. Accession 28230, Business records, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Gift of John R. Garnett, 28 March 1974.

Biographical/Historical Information

Arthur L. Adamson (1856-1944) was born in Stockton-on-Tees, England. In 1873 Adamson came to the United States with his brother, William R. Adamson, and settled first in Kansas, later moving to Wilverton, Nottoway County, Virginia. In 1876 he moved to Richmond, Virginia, and in 1886 established an insurance and real estate firm which dealt with property mainly located in Manchester. Adamson was instrumental in the establishment of the Mechanics and Merchants Bank and served as its president   until the time of his death. At various other times Adamson served on the board of directors or was president   of The Leader Company, publishers of the Evening Leader, the Manchester Light, Heat, and Power Company, the Mason Park Land Company, and the Seaboard Security Corporation.

After Adamson's death, his sone Thomas Darnley Adamson (1890-1967) continued the company until its purchase in 1961 by John R. Garnett. Thomas Adamson served on the board of directors of Central National Bank and Richmond Federal Savings and Loan Association and was president   of the Boulevard Bridge Association and vice- president of the Westover Hills Corporation.

Scope and Content Information

Records, 1883-1960, of the A.L. Adamson Real Estate Company of Richmond, Virginia. Includes ledgers, journals, loan books, sales books, listing property sold, sale price, loans, commissions, and fees volumes. Items containing personal information include a ledger, 1883-1890, containing accounts of the estate of William R. Adamson and accounts with builders for the construction of homes in Manchester; list of property owned by Arthur and Sarah Adamson, 1885-1939; and an account book, 1886-1890, containing an inventory of Adamson's real and personal property, list of furniture, and an account of the cost of construction of a home in Bon Air. Loose manuscript items are copies of deeds of trust, abstracts of title, receipts, notices, and several printed booklets.