Couper Marble Works (Norfolk, VA.)

A Guide to the Couper Marble Works (Norfolk, VA.) Records, 1848-1943
Call Number Mss3 C8325 a


Abstract

Main Entry:Couper Marble Works (Norfolk, VA.)
Title: Records, 1848-1943
Size:ca. 32,500 items
Provenance:Gift of Monroe Couper
Restrictions:None.

Collection Description

John Diedrich Couper (1822-1909) founded the Couper Marble Works in 1848. Located behind the family home on the corner of Main and Granby streets, Norfolk, Va., the firm specialized in the import and carving of stone used for construction and monuments. Run by succeeding members of the family, including John Diedrich Couper (1856-1917) and Charles Cowling Couper (1860-1942), the company remained in family hands for over one hundred years before closing in 1981. In later years it was known as Couper Memorials.

The collection consists of ca. 32,500 items and includes correspondence, accounts, contracts, orders, drawings, sketches, ledgers, and day books of the company. Also included are drawings and scrapbooks relating to the Norfolk Confederate Monument. The monument, located at Main Street and Commercial Place, was originally to be topped with a heroic bronze figure of peace, while four life-sized bronze figures representing a Confederate sailor, infantryman, cavalryman, and artilleryman were intended to adorn the base. The pedestal was completed in 1889. With money short, the original plans were reconsidered, and, in 1907, a handsome fifteen-foot bronze statue of a defiant Johnny Reb, created by renowned sculptor William Couper (1853-1942), son of John D. Couper (1822-1909), was added.

The collection was the gift of Monroe Couper, Waynesboro, Va., and Wilmington, Del., in 1968, 1969, and 1970. Accessioned 17 January 1969 and 9 February 1971.


Guide

Section One: General Materials

Box 1Checklist and miscellany

Section Two: Incoming Correspondence, 1848-1942

Box 2Letters (incoming), 1848-1875
3Letterbook (incoming), 1852-1865
4Letters (incoming), 1867-1869
5Letters (incoming), 1870-1873
6Letters (incoming), 1875-1877
7Letters (incoming), 1879-1880
8Letters (incoming), 1881-1882
9Letters (incoming), 1883
10Letters (incoming), 1884-1886
11Letters (incoming), 1886-1887
12Letters (incoming), 1888
13Letters (incoming), 1889-1898 (A - C through 1891)
14Letters (incoming), 1889-1898 (A - C through 1892-1898)
15Letters (incoming), 1889-1898 (D, F) [there are no “E” letters]
16Letters (incoming), 1889-1898 (G - H)
17Letters (incoming), 1889-1898 (I - L)
18Letters (incoming), 1889-1898 (M)
19Letters (incoming), 1889-1898 (N - P through 1894)
20Letters (incoming), 1889-1898 (P through 1898-R)
21Letters (incoming), 1889-1898 (S)
22Letters (incoming), 1889-1898 (T - V)
23Letters (incoming), 1899-1916 (H - P) [there are no “A - G” letters]
24Letters (incoming), 1899-1916 (Q - Y)
25Letters (incoming), 1925-1928
26Letters (incoming), 1929
27Letters (incoming), 1930
28Letters (incoming), 1931-1932
29Letters (incoming), 1933-1935
30Letters (incoming), 1936-1937
31Letters (incoming), 1938-1939
32Letters (incoming), 1940-1941
33Letters (incoming), 1942

Section Three: Contracts, 1905-1942

Box 34Contracts, 1905-1909
35Contracts, 1910-1913
36Contracts, 1914-1919
37Contracts, 1920-1923
38Contracts, 1924-1931
39Contracts, 1932-1937
40Contracts, 1938-1942

Section Four: Orders, 1888-1942

Box 41Orders, 1888-1890
42Orders, 1902-1906 (part.)
43Orders, 1906 (cont.)-1909
44Orders, 1910-1913 (part.)
45Orders, 1913 (cont.)-1916
46Orders, 1917-1921
47Orders, 1922-1927
48Orders, 1928-1937
49Orders, 1938-1942

Section Five: Accounts, 1848-1902

Box 50Accounts, 1848-1868
51Accounts, 1869-1874
52Accounts, 1875-1879
53Accounts, 1880-1884
54Accounts, 1885-1888
55Accounts, 1889-1902

Section Six: Scrapbooks and Drawings

Box 56Scrapbook A, Pt. 1 (Confederate Monument, Norfolk, Va.)
57Scrapbook A, Pt. 2
58Scrapbook B
59Drawings and sketches, 1895-1900
60Drawings and sketches, 1901-1904
61Drawings and sketches, 1905-1908
62Drawings and sketches, 1909-1923
63Drawings and sketches, A - G
64Drawings and sketches, H - P [there are no “Q” drawings]
65Drawings and sketches, R - Z
66Drawings and sketches, Misc.

Section Seven: Letterbooks (Outgoing), 1877-1943

Vol. A1877 Nov 17 - 1881 May 10
B1881 May 18 - 1883 Mar 7
C1883 Mar 7 - 1885 Jul 31
D1885 Aug 1 - 1887 Aug 27
E1887 Aug 30 - 1889 Jan 18
F1889 Jan 18 - 1889 Oct 11
G1889 Oct 12 - 1890 Sep 12
H1890 Sep 13 - 1891 May 5
I1891 May 6 - 1891 Dec 9
J1891 Dec 9 - 1892 Dec 20
K1892 Dec 22 - 1894 Mar 17
L1894 Mar 17 - 1895 Feb 23
M1895 Feb 23 - 1895 Sep 30
N1895 Oct 1 - 1896 Apr 15
O1896 Apr 15 - 1896 Aug 12
P1896 Aug 12 - 1897 Aug 23
Q1897 Aug 23 - 1898 Jul 16
R1898 Aug 23 - 1899 Mar 11
S1899 Mar 11 - 1899 Oct 27
T1899 Oct 27 - 1900 Apr 12
U1900 Apr 12 - 1900 Sep 5
V1900 Sep 6 - 1901 Mar 25
W1901 Mar 25 - 1902 Feb 20
X1902 Feb 20 - 1902 Sep 8
Y1902 Sep 9 - 1903 Mar 21
Z1903 Mar 23 - 1903 Sep 8
281903 Sep 28 - 1904 Feb 16 [there is no volume #27]
291904 Feb 17 - 1904 Jul 12
301904 Jul 13 - 1904 Dec 3
311904 Dec 4 - 1905 Apr 25
321905 Apr 25 - 1905 Sep 18
331905 Sep 18 - 1906 Feb 25
341906 Feb 28 - 1906 Jul 30
351906 Jul 31 - 1906 Dec 28
361906 Dec 28 - 1907 May 28
371907 May 29 - 1907 Sep 19
381907 Sep 20 - 1908 Jan 23
391908 Jan 29 - 1908 May 20
401908 May 20 - 1908 Sep 1
411908 Aug 31 - 1909 Jan 5
421909 Jan 6 - 1909 May 24
431909 May 29 - 1909 Oct 9
441909 Oct 11 - 1910 Apr 26
451910 Apr 26 - 1910 Oct 27
461910 Oct 27 - 1911 Jun 6
471911 Jun 6 - 1911 Nov 7
481911 Nov 7 - 1912 May 31
491912 Jun 1 - 1913 Jan 11
501913 Jan 11 - 1913 Jul 15
511813 Jul 15 - 1913 Nov 20
521913 Nov 21 - 1914 May 8
531914 May 11 - 1914 Nov 25
541914 Nov 25 - 1915 Jul 22
551915 Jul 23 - 1916 Apr 30
561916 May 1 - 1917 Feb 10
571917 Feb 10 - 1917 Nov 2
581917 Nov 5 - 1918 Aug 2
591918 Aug 26 - 1919 Jun 30
601919 Jul 1 - 1919 Dec 10
611919 Dec 11 - 1920 Aug 18
621920 Aug 19 - 1921 Jun 2
631921 Jun 21 - 1921 Nov 18
641921 Nov 19 - 1922 Jun 9
651922 Jun 10 - 1922 Dec 26
661922 Dec 26 - 1923 Nov 1
671923 Nov 2 - 1924 Aug 22
681924 Aug 22 - 1925 Aug 7
691925 Aug 7 - 1926 Nov 15
701926 Nov 15 - 1927 Nov 15
711927 Nov 10 - 1928 Aug 19
721928 Aug 20 - 1929 Jun 19
731929 Jun 20 - 1930 May 14
741930 May 15 - 1931 May 31
751931 May 15 - 1932 May 31
761932 Jun 1 - 1933 Jul 12
771933 Jul 14 - 1934 May 17
781934 May 18 - 1935 Mar 7
791935 Mar 9 - 1935 Aug 6
801935 Aug 6 - 1935 Dec 31
811936 Jan 1 - 1936 Jul 8
821936 Jul 9 - 1936 Dec 31
831937 Jan 1 - 1937 Jun 30
841937 Jul 1 - 1937 Nov 30
851937 Dec 1 - 1938 May 31
861938 Jun 1 - 1938 Dec 31
871939 Jan 1 - 1939 Aug 31
881939 Sep 1 - 1940 Apr 23
891940 Apr 23 - 1940 Oct 31
901940 Nov 1 - 1941 Mar 31
911941 Apr 1 - 1941 Aug 31
921941 Sep 1 - 1942 May 29
931942 Jun 1 - 1943 Jul 26

Section Eight: Financial Volumes, 1848-1943

Estimate book #40, 1938 Aug 17 - 1940 Jul 15
Estimate book #41, 1940 Jul 18 - 1943 Dec 13
Ledger A, 1848-1852
Ledger B, 1852-1855
Ledger C, 1855-1858
Ledger D, 1857-1866
Ledger E, 1867-1871
Ledger F, 1871-1875
Daybook, 1866-1868
Daybook, 1868-1870
Daybook, 1870-1873
Daybook, 1873-1875
Daybook, 1876-1882
Daybook, 1883-1887
Daybook, 1887-1889
Daybook, 1889-1891
Daybook, 1891-1893
Daybook, 1894-1895
Daybook, 1896-1898
Daybook, 1899-1902

Section Nine: Inscription Index, 1885-1938

Inscription index, 1885-1938


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Last updated: July 3, 2002

For further information, please contact: Eileen Parris, Archivist
email: eparris@vahistorical.org