Earl Gregg Swem Library, College of William and Mary
Special Collections© 2000 By the College of William and Mary
Funding: Web version of the finding aid funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Processed by: Special Collections Staff
Collection is open to all researchers.
Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from the Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.
Cole Papers, Manuscripts and Rare Books Department, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.
Gift: 1939.
Henry Denison Cole (1856-1938) was the son of Robert F. Cole. Henry D. Cole operated a bookshop on Duke of Gloucester Street, served as postmaster, 1884-1889, treasurer of Bruton Parish Church, secretary of the Alumni of the College of William and Mary, judge of elections, member of the Democratic Committee, the school board, and the Board of Trustees of Eastern State Hospital.
Included are minutes of the Wise Light Infantry Co. of Williamsburg, 1881-1882; the College of William and Mary Alumni Association, 1906-1917; papers concerning the College of William and Mary including letters, 1873, from Benjamin S. Ewell; the Williamsburg Free School Trustees, 1870-1907; and the Democratic Committee of Williamsburg.
Also accounts of the state school funds, 1894-1911; the city school funds, 1906-1911, 1919-1924; Bruton Parish Church 1897-1938; and of Robert F. Cole (father of Henry D. Cole), 1843-1856. Also lists of registered voters in Williamsburg, 1889-1896, 1902-1925, and papers relating to property in Williamsburg and the restoration of Bruton Parish Church, 1905-1906.
The collection also includes stereoptican slides and letters from John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller.
This collection is arranged into series.
OrganizationThis collection was organized into fourteen Series: 1. Papers of Williamsburg City Council, 2. Papers of Williamsburg Post Office, 3. Miscellaneous Letters, 4. Business Papers of H. D. Cole, 5. Papers of the Cole Family, 6. Papers relating to William and Mary College, 7. Wise Infantry Minute Book, etc., 8. Printed Material and Stereoptican Slides, 9. William and Mary Alumni Association, 10. Post Card and Shop Account Book, 11. Papers Relating to Schools, 12. Bruton Parish Records, 13. Williamsburg Democratic Records, and 14. Artifacts.
Papers of the Williamsburg City Council, including manuscript draft of the first ordinance regulating automobile traffic, contract for city gas lighting system, duties of city scavenger, pro and con papers regarding bond issue for city water works and sewage disposal and doctors bills for smallpox vaccinations.
Papers of the post office while Cole served as postmaster.
Blodgett's balloon ascent and public reaction to Dreyfus case.
Growth and development around Lynchburg, Virginia.
Includes rent and sale contracts for Williamsburg property. Sale for standing lumber, tax returns, fire insurance policies, four certificates from Virginia governors appointing him to the board of trustees of Eastern State Hospital.
Wood and periodical accounts of Cole's shop.
Papers concerning the property of H. D. Cole, his father Robert F. Cole, his grandfather Jesse Cole and bills of the latter two.
Papers of Robert F. Cole. Account books of Robert F. Cole showing accounts against Williamsburg residents.
Includes an 1816 letter.
Letter from Roberts who was rector of Bruton Parish Church criticizing the college, president [Lyon G.] Tyler and the vice-president of the Board of Visitors as a "moral leper."
Reply of William and Mary president Lyon G. Tyler to November open letter by W. T. Roberts, rector of Bruton Parish Church.
Printed copy of an agreement between the City of Williamsburg and the Williamsburg Holding Company, now Colonial Williamsburg
Primarily of Yorktown Centennial Celebration, including 18 October 1881 edition of Army and Navy Register listing events, personages, military units and their officers.
Contains social, political, historical events and clippings on the October 1888 reopening of the College as well as other items of interest about William and Mary.
Bank account book of Henry D. Cole in which pages 68-71 are devoted to William and Mary Alumni Association Executive Committee.
Newspaper and magazine account book of Henry D. Cole in which pages 250-257 are minutes of meetings of Alumni Association Executive Committee. Volume includes account and memorandum book of Richneck Farm.
Minutes of meetings of Trustees of the Williamsburg Free School. The volume also contains miscellaneous loose papers pertaining to the school.
Bound volume of accounts of school accounts and funds, both state and local.
Bound volume of accounts of state school funds.
Bound volume of accounts of city school funds.
Bound volume of accounts of city school funds.
Includes letters to the school board.
Bound volume of minutes of the Democratic Committee in Williamsburg, registered voters in the city (white and colored [sic]lists). In the back of the volume there is a collection of ballots of the period.
Lists of registered voters in the city.
Minutes having to do with Presidential campaigns.