Use Restrictions

Public Domain. There are no known restrictions.

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Leesburg, Virginia "Rates of Toll" list, C0345, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Purchased from Jerry Showalter by Lynn Eaton.

Processing Information

Processing completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in September 2023. Finding aid completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in September 2023.

Historical Information

In the latter half of the 18th through the early 19th century, road building in Virginia was marked by the development of many toll roads, also known as turnpikes. In 1785, when established methods of funding for road improvement and maintenance proved insufficient, gates were constructed along heavy travel and trade routes to collect tolls. These newly established turnpikes got their name from the original toll gate design, which consisted of a turnstile made from two crossed bars, pointed at their outer ends, and turned on a vertical bar. In and around Leesburg, these newly established turnpikes included seven toll gates between Leesburg and Alexandria and four from Leesburg to Georgetown.

The outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 interrupted both general road maintenance and the collection of tolls, and by the early 1870s, the operation of turnpikes in Loudoun and Fairfax County, including Leesburg Turnpike, was abandoned. These routes functioned as standard county roads until 1910 when the Virginia General Assembly authorized the incorporation of the Washington and Leesburg Turnpike Company.

Scope and Content

A printed single sided sheet with the heading "Rates of Toll: To Be Paid Here" above a list of Leesburg, Virginia toll rates for various carts, wagons, carriages, and animals printed by the "Washingtonian-Office, Leesburg". The toll information is surrounded by a floral decorative border with round seals in each of the four corners.

Arrangement

This is a single item collection.

Related Material

The Special Collections Research Center also holds many other collections on historic Virginia, including the Randolph H. Historical Virginia collection , and Letter from Joseph Janney of Leesburg, Virginia

The Thomas Balch Library holds many records on Loudoun County and local Virginia history.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Leesburg (Va.)
• Tolls
• Virginia, Northern