Restrictions on Access

There are no restrictions to access or use for research purposes.

Ownership and Custodial History

It is unknown when, or by what means, this collection was acquired by the Farmville-Prince Edward Historical Society.

Biographical sketch

Located at the corner of Main Street and High Street in downtown Farmville, the Watkins M. Abbitt Federal Building was originally constructed as the Farmville Post Office in 1917. While efforts had been made as early as 1898 to secure a public building in Farmville, it was not until 1913, when a citizen's committee pressed the matter to Senators John W. Daniel and Thomas S. Martin and Congressman Robert G. Southall; that the necessary appropriations were made to finance the construction. The town of Farmville ceded two parcels of land for the project and construction finally began on November 26, 1917. In 1962, operations at the Farmville Post Office had outgrown the facilities on Main Street and a new post office was constructed on the corner of Third Street and Virginia Street. At that point, a plan was drafted to consolidate all of the Federal Government offices in Farmville into a single facility. The former post office was remodeled to suit that purpose and reopened as the Federal Building in March 1963. In 1972, the building was named after U.S. Representative Watkins M. Abbitt, who had represented Virginia's 4th Congressional District for nearly 25 years.

Scope and content

This collection, which dates from 1915-1918, 1940, 1945, 1948, and 1962, consists of building plans for the Farmville Post Office, subsequent renovations, and plans for the building remodel for the conversion into the Federal Building.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Farmville (Va.) -- History.
• Neoclassicism (Architecture) -- Virginia -- Prince Edward County.
• Wetmore, James A., 1863-1940

General Note

This collection is part of the Farmville-Prince Edward Historical Society Archives which are housed at the Greenwood Library Archives and Special Collections