Henkel Family Papers
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Not requestable
Scope and Content
The Henkel Collection consists of two Hollinger boxes and one flat box, and spans a period from 1783 to 1916. The bulk of the collection consists of letters, religious documents, and newspapers and advertisements published by the Henkel Press. Also included are some Henkel family history materials and business documents, and miscellaneous secular materials.
Many of the older letters in the Letters Series are in German while later ones are primarily in English. They demonstrate the dedication of the Henkel family to their faith as well as their activities within the Synod.
Also in the collection (Secular Documents Series) are several handwritten school books, some with fraktur.
The Henkel Press Publications Series (including the Oversize Series) contains a large part of the collection, and includes handwritten drafts for advertisements to be printed, pamphlets, issues of Virginische Volksberichterand Westliche Correspondenz, and a formula for the ink used in printing.
Dates
- Creation: 1783-1916
Creator
- Henkel family (Family)
Access Restrictions
Collection is open to research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.
Use Restrictions
The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).
Bio/Historical Note
The Henkel Press began as a crude printing press in the living room of Paul Henkel's house in New Market, Virginia, in 1806. Eventually, it published more Lutheran material than any other press in the country, and earned fame for its excellent children's books. Although the press began printing in German for the large Shenandoah Valley German community, it also published in English at an early date.
Extent
2.44 cubic feet (3 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Henkel Family Papers consists of two Hollinger boxes and one oversize box, and spans a period from 1783 to 1916. The bulk of the collection consists of letters, religious documents, and newspapers and advertisements published by the Henkel Press of New Market, Virginia. Also included are some Henkel family history materials and business documents, and miscellaneous secular materials.
Arrangement
Partial organization by a previous researcher was maintained. The collection is arranged in five series:
- Correspondence, 1806-1892
- Religious Documents, 1783-1897
- Secular Documents, 1790-1910
- Family History
- Henkel Press Publications, 1806-1891
Acquisition Information
Placed on deposit at Carrier Library through the November 1985 contract with the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society.
Alternate Formats
Excerpts of this collection have been digitized and are made available upon request.
- Poem about slavery, written by a slave - Unknown Author, undated (English)
- Report of the Transactions of the Second Evangelical Lutheran Conference held in Zion's Church, Sulivan County Tennessee, October 22, 1821 (English)
- Henkel manuscript: Woodstock Virginia, January 26, 1829 (English)
- Henkel Press Song Book, undated (German)
- Minutes of the Proceedings of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of the State of Virginia, 1833 (English)
- Short Excerpt of the Transactions of the Synod of the Lutheran Ministry, held in the state of North Carolina in the year of our Lord, 1817 (German)
Bibliography
- Edmonds, Albert Sydney. "The Henkels, Early Printers in New Market, Virginia," William and Mary Quarterly, 2nd series, v. 18, 1938.
- Scheer, George F. "First Printing Press in the Valley of Virginia," Publishers' Weekly. Vol. 150, November 23, 1946.
- Finck, Rev. William J. A Chronological Life of Paul Henkel. New Market, 1937. Photocopy of original typescript made by Richard R. Renalds, Timberville, VA., 1986.
Processing Information
A schoolbook on mathematics was withdrawn by the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society on May 16, 2000. In order to streamline the process of applying collection numbers, Special Collections staff completed a large-scale renumbering campaign in the spring of 2017. This collection was previously cataloged as SC 2065.
Genre / Form
Geographic
- New Market (Va.) -- Genealogy -- Sources
- New Market (Va.) -- History -- Sources
- New Market (Va.) -- Imprints
- Rockingham County (Va.) -- History -- Sources
- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- Social life and customs
- Virginia -- Church history -- 19th century
- Virginia -- History -- Sources
- Virginia -- History, Local -- Sources
Topical
- Clergy -- Virginia
- German imprints -- Virginia -- New Market
- Lutheran Church -- Virginia
- Printers -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.)
- Printers -- Virginia
- Printing -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History
- Religious literature -- Publication and distribution -- Virginia
- Religious literature, German -- Publication and distribution -- Virginia
- Title
- A Guide to the Henkel Family Papers, 1783-1916
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Orville W. Bame, Chris Bolgiano, Trevor Alvord
- Date
- December 1988, January 1989, March 1990, March 2011
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2017: Collection renumbered.
- 2022-12-01: Oversize series was intellectually removed and items were arranged into other existing series.
Repository Details
Part of the James Madison University Libraries Special Collections Repository
820 Madison Drive
MSC 1706
Harrisonburg Virginia 22807
(540) 568-3612
library-special@jmu.edu