Part II
The materials in this section are most useful to
researchers who have already worked with some of the
sources in Part I, or who already have information about
the owners of the houses they are researching. Most of
these sources are arranged by the name of the property
owner, making that information essential for researchers
who intend to use these sources.
Alexandria City Records: Deeds 1783-1865 and indexes. Microfilm of the deed books, with the original name indexes. The deeds, which may include details about property boundaries or structures, are grouped by year. Microfilm Reel 00589
Alexandria City Records: Land Book and Personal Property Tax Assessments 1787-1855. These assessments, organized by date, give the name of the owner, a description of the property, its location and value. There is no name index. Microfilm Reel 00027
Alexandria City Records: Landbook 1787-90, 1795-1800. These records give few details on the property or the buildings themselves, but they do provide information about the value of the property. An increase in value may mean that a new building was constructed or that other improvements were made. Records are grouped together by year and are then organized by the first letter of the owner’s surname. Microfilm Reel 00026
Alexandria City Records: Real Property Tax List, 1st Ward 1806. Although these records assess property value, they do not always provide the property’s location. Some records provide details about the use of the property. There is no index, and the records do not seem to be arranged in any particular order. Microfilm Reel 00552
Alexandria City Records: Tax Ledger 1805. Shows the value of tax assessments for houses and lots. The records are grouped by name, with surnames beginning with the same letter grouped together. Microfilm Reel 00552
Alexandria City Records: Tax Ledger for Business 1800. These records give the value of each person’s house and/or lot. The records are grouped by name, with surnames beginning with the same letter grouped together. Microfilm Reel 00552
Alexandria City Records: Tax Ledgers 1851-1899. These ledgers provide information about the value of houses and lots. The original indexes appear in the front of each ledger. These group the people according to surname, with names beginning with the same first letter grouped together. Microfilm Reel 00027
Alexandria City Records: Tax Record 1787 and Tax Record 1789. The value of each person’s property is assessed; while lots are mentioned, no details are given about buildings or houses. Organized by name; no index. Microfilm Reel 00481
Alexandria City Records: Ward I Tax Ledger, 1804. These tax assessments sometimes indicate the location of the property being taxed. Some records also have details about extra taxes for houses with multiple stories, tavern licenses, etc. There is a name index at the beginning of the ledger. Microfilm Reel 00479
Alexandria City Records: Wills, 1800-1867 and index. Microfilm of the original will books, grouped by date. The information varies from document to document, but a will may discuss the type of property willed, its location, or its value. Each volume has an individual name index, and there is a general name index covering the entire group of wills as well. Microfilm Reel 00346
Alexandria Clerk of Circuit Court The court has indexes and land records dating from the 1800s. Their web site has information on their hours and fees.
Fairfax County: Index to Deeds 1742-1866. Microfilm of the original indexes, which were divided into three groups: 1742-1797, 1797-1841, and 1842-1866. All three sections group surnames beginning with the same letter together; within this structure, the second and third sections group first names beginning with the same letter together as well. The original deeds are located at the Fairfax County Archives. Microfilm Reel 00030
Manuscript Collections. Details about houses or property may be found in the personal papers of their owners. Once the name of the owner or the owner’s family is known, manuscript materials may be found that provide more information about a house. There is a subject index to the manuscript collections, and finding aids exist for many collections as well.
Munson, James D. Alexandria Hustings Court Deeds 1783-1797 and Alexandria Hustings Court Deeds 1797-1801. These extracts from the deed books are indexed by name, subject and place, but not by street. They provide information about the general location of a property, when the deed was written, how much money was involved, and the names of the people involved. Va. Ref. 929.3 Alexandria Mun
Mutual Assurance Fire Company Records. Fire insurance records containing information about the nature of the buildings insured and their value. There are both new policies and renewals, which means that multiple records may exist for the same property. The records, which include policies from the years 1796-1860, are arranged by the policyholder’s name and have been indexed. Va. Ref. 368.11 Mut
Northern Virginia Telephone Books. The library holds a small, incomplete collection of local telephone books that includes books from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The telephone books are useful for tracking the more recent history of a building.
Wardell, Patrick G. Alexandria City and County Virginia Deed Book Extracts Vol. I 1801-1818. These records describe the granting and transfer of deeds. They are indexed by name only and discuss the parties involved, the date, and the type of deed; they do not mention where the property in question is located. In order to identify information about a specific property, then, it would be necessary to know the name of one of the parties and the approximate date when a transaction may have taken place. Va. Ref. 929.3 Alexandria War