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Local History and Special Collections Branch, Alexandria Library
717 Queen StreetAlexandria, VA 22314
Business Number: 703-746-1791
lhsc@alexlibraryva.org
URL: http://alexlibraryva.org/lhsc
Jessica Copeland
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
[Item identification], Sherwood Farm Papers, MS100, Alexandria Library, Local History/Special Collections, Alexandria, Va.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Joyce Wilkinson in 1981
Biographical / Historical
The history of Sherwood Farm, which served as an ad hoc Quaker Community Archives, began in 1858, when one hundred acres of land north of the Accotink Turnpike was purchased by Charles Ballinger, a Quaker. He married Maria Gibbs and built a house on the acreage in 1859. Seven years later, he purchased an additional hundred acres of land south of the Accotink Turnpike. This two hundred acre spread comprised Sherwood Farm, which belonged to the Ballinger/Wilkinson families for five generations. Mary Alice Ballinger was born there in 1866. She married Francis H. Wilkinson, also a Quaker, who was a son of Morris R. Wilkinson and Sarah Kirk Wilkinson of Gray's Hill Farm, in 1891.
Content Description
The Wilkinson Family papers consist of Sarah Kirk Wilkinson's day books, a few of her son Francis' school papers, and assorted Wilkinson correspondence. There are also two diaries from Unionville, Pennsylvania, unsigned, which most likely belonged to Quaker relatives. The Sherwood Farm papers include: Woodlawn Farmer's Club correspondence, describing various social activities of the Quaker farmers and their families from the area; Woodlawn Horse Company correspondence, which includes the constitution and by-laws of this anti-horse theft organization; Woodlawn Housekeeping Association correspondence, constitution, by-laws and minutes; records from the Woodlawn Literary Association; Sherwood Hall Sunday School records; and blank Sherwood Farm Dairy Records showing how the milk production was recorded and sold from 1918-1940. There is also a newspaper article from the Sunday Star in 1905, describing Quaker families and history in this area.
Arrangement
By subject: therein chronologically. Series 1 is the Wilkinson Family Papers; Series 2 is the Sherwood Farm Papers.
Related Material
"Reminiscences of Sherwood Farm and the Surrounding Area" by Charles Kirk Wilkinson, Historical Society of Fairfax County Yearbook.
The Woodlawn Agricultural Society Records, 1866-1903, microfilm 00435.
The Woodlawn Housekeeping Association Records, microfilm 00435.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- Dairy farms -- Virginia -- Fairfax County
- Quakers -- Virginia -- Fairfax County.
- Wilkinson family
- Woodlawn Farmers' Club
- Woodlawn Horse Company
- Woodlawn Housekeeping Society
- Woodlawn Literary Association
Existence and Location of Originals
Location of Originals
The original records of the Woodlawn Housekeeping Association, the Sherwood Hall Sunday School, and the Woodlawn Literary Association are in the Virginia Room of the Fairfax City Regional Library. This manuscript collection contains photocopies of all of the above mentioned records
Significant Persons Associated With the Collection
- Kester, Vaughan, 1869-1911
- Wilkinson, Caleb Kirk, 1856-1921
- Wilkinson, Francis H. (Frank), 1864-1935
- Wilkinson, Sarah H. Kirk, 1824-1910
Container List
- Books box: 1 folder: 1
Sarah Kirk Wilkinson day books1839-1845
- Text box: 1 folder: 2
Diary, Unionville, PAWilkinson, Caleb Kirk, 1856-19211873Scope and Contents
Contains a single small diary and a note claiming it is definitely written by Caleb Kirk Wilkinson.
- Text box: 1 folder: 3
Francis Wilkinson school papersWilkinson, Francis H. (Frank), 1864-19351881-1883
- Text box: 1 folder: 4
Diary, Unionville, PAWilkinson, Francis H. (Frank), 1864-19351881-1884Scope and Contents
Contains a small diary with minimal writing, along with a note that says it was written by and belonged to Frank Wilkinson.
- Text box: 1 folder: 5
Wilkinson correspondence1894-1899Scope and Contents
Contains 5 letters written to Sarah Wilkinson and Frank Wilkinson.
- Text box: 1 folder: 6
MiscellaneousEnglish.Scope and Contents
Folder contains miscelaneous documents including a short journal entry, a school book for penmanship, and other lists and such.
- Text box: 1 folder: 7
Woodlawn Farmer's Club correspondenceKester, Vaughan, 1869-19111902-1906Scope and Contents
Various letters between the Woodlawn Farmers Club including a letter from Vaughn Kester.
- Text box: 1 folder: 8
Quakers of Mount Vernon, The Sunday Star1905Scope and Contents
Folder holds several photocopies of the Sunday Star newspaper from 1905.
- Text box: 1 folder: 9
Woodlawn Horse Company1908English.Scope and Contents
Folder contains several blank identification sheets for horses from the Woodlawn Horse Company, as well as a 1908 booklet of the Constitution and By-Laws of the Woodlawn Horse Company of Fairfax County, VA.
- Text box: 1 folder: 10
Travel literature1930English.Scope and Contents
Contains 2 travel guides for the Claiborne-Annapolis Ferry Company, and a map from DC through Northern Virginia from the Alexandria Auto Supply store.
- Text box: 1 folder: 11
Sherwood Farm Dairy record cardsScope and Contents
Folder contains a handful of blank record cards from Sherwood Farm.
- Text box: 1 folder: 12
Woodlawn Housekeeping Society1876-1891English.Scope and Contents
Folder contains 2 documents associated with the Woodlawn Housekeeping Association, the all-female component of the Woodlawn Farmers' Club.
- Text box: 1 folder: 13
Woodlawn Housekeeping Society constitution from 1876-1896Scope and Contents
This is a photocopied bound collection of the minutes of the Woodlawn Housekeeping Association.
- Text box: 1 folder: 14
Woodlawn Housekeeper's Society minutes from 1886 to 1896Scope and Contents
This is a bound, photocopied version.
- Text box: 1 folder: 15
Woodlawn Housekeeper's Society by-laws and minutes from 1891 to 1896Scope and Contents
This is a bound, photocopied collection.
- Text box: 1 folder: 16
Woodlawn Literary Association records from 1902Scope and Contents
This is a bound and photocopied record.
- Text box: 1 folder: 17
Sherwood Hall Sunday School records1901-1905