Virginia Board of Public Works facts for kids
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | February 5, 1816 |
| Dissolved | February 28, 1903 |
| Jurisdiction | Virginia |
| Headquarters | Richmond, Virginia |
| Parent department | Governor of Virginia |
The Virginia Board of Public Works was an important government group in Virginia. It existed during the 1800s. Its main job was to help build and pay for new ways to travel and move goods. This included roads, bridges, and canals.
Back then, it was common for states to invest money in private companies. These companies were like the early versions of today's public service companies. The state of Virginia often bought up to 40% of a company's shares. This helped build things like toll roads, bridges, canals, and early railroads.
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Claudius Crozet: Virginia's Top Engineer
Claudius Crozet (1789–1864) was a very skilled civil engineer. He also helped start the Virginia Military Institute (VMI). He worked for the Board of Public Works as a main engineer. Later, he became the Chief Engineer.
Crozet helped plan and build many important transportation projects in Virginia. This included parts of what is now West Virginia. He worked on canals, toll roads, bridges, and railroads. His work during the time before the Civil War was very well recorded. He is one of the most famous people who helped build Virginia's transportation system.
Virginia's Big Debt After the Civil War
When the American Civil War started in 1861, Virginia's work on public projects stopped. The state had invested a lot of money, about $48 million, in these projects. This money went into turnpikes, bridges, canals, and railroads.
After the war, many of these new transportation systems were destroyed. But the state still owed money for them. This large debt became a big problem during the time of Reconstruction. There were also questions about how much of the debt the new state of West Virginia should pay.
Two important politicians, Harrison H. Riddleberger and William Mahone, formed a group called the Readjuster Party. They focused on solving this debt problem. Their group included newly freed Black citizens, Republicans, and some Democrats. They became a strong force in Virginia politics. They helped elect William E. Cameron as governor. They also sent Riddleberger and Mahone to the U.S. Congress.
Mahone even had a powerful vote in the U.S. Senate for a short time. By the 1890s, the Readjuster Party was not as strong. Other politicians then led Virginia for many years.
Virginia and West Virginia finally settled their debt issue in 1915. The U.S. Supreme Court decided that West Virginia owed Virginia about $12.4 million. The last payment for this debt was made in 1939.
From Building to Watching: The Board's New Role
After the American Civil War, the Board of Public Works changed its focus. It stopped mainly paying for projects. Instead, it started to oversee and regulate them. This was because companies from the North largely paid for rebuilding and expanding the railroads.
The canals and turnpikes that the Board once managed became less important. Shipping and travel moved to the newer railroad technology. In 1903, the Virginia General Assembly replaced the Board of Public Works. They created a new agency called the Virginia State Corporation Commission.
Historical Records of the Board
Many old plans and drawings from the Board of Public Works are kept safe. They are in the archives of the Library of Virginia. You can even see many of them online.
The Library of Virginia says that these records are very special. Researchers have used them for many different reasons over the years. For example, maps and letters about canals helped restore old canal parts. Records about turnpikes and railroads helped solve questions about land rights. Even old sketches of county borders from the 1830s and 1850s are still used today. They help find changes in the land and old historical sites.
