Virginia Board of Public Works
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The Virginia Board of Public Works was a governmental agency which oversaw and helped finance the development of Virginia's internal transportation improvements during the 19th century. In that era, it was customary to invest public funds in private companies, which were the forerunners of the public service and utility companies of modern times.
Claudius Crozet (1789-1864) a civil engineer and educator who helped found Virginia Military Institute (VMI) was Principal Engineer and later Chief Engineer for the Board of Public Works. He was involved with the planning and construction of many of the canals, turnpikes, bridges and railroads in Virginia, including the area which is now West Virginia. Of the many people who help build Virginia's transportation infrastructure, Crozet is one of the better-known individuals. His work in the antebellum period was exceptionally well-documented.
In 1861, with the onset of the American Civil War, Virginia's investments in "Public Works" was interrupted. The State had purchased a total of $48,000,000 worth of stock in turnpike, toll bridge, canal, and water and rail transportation enterprises. The debt resulting became an issue during Reconstruction, including questions about an apportionment to the newly created State of West Virginia. Politician William Mahone organized his Readjuster Party coalition largely based upon this issue.
After the American Civil War, the Board's role shifted from financing to a regulatory role, as the rebuilding and expansion of the railroads were financed largely by Northern interests. The canals and turnpikes under the Board's authority declined as shipping shifted to the newer technology. The Board of Public Works was replaced by the Virginia General Assembly with a new agency, the Virginia State Corporation Commission in 1903.
Hundreds of plans and drawings of the Board of Public Works have been retained in the archives of the Virginia State Library. Many are available for viewing on-line through the Internet. Virginia State Library's official website notes: "Few collections in other archival institutions are comparable. Over the years, researchers have used the records for many purposes. Maps, plans, and correspondence relating to canals have aided in the restoration of canal locks and other surviving canal features. Records relating to turnpikes and railroads assisted in resolving right-of-way questions. Field survey notes help identify changes in topography and aid in the location of archaeological sites. Surprising as it may seem, sketches made in the 1830s and 1850s of county boundaries are still consulted today."
