The Library of Virginia will present a virtual talk Jan. 22 from noon to 1 p.m., focusing on the 19th century mapping project that led to the creation of the first official map of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The talk will delve into the surveying efforts and teams that contributed to the detailed manuscript maps of each county, which ultimately formed the foundation for the engraved Virginia state map, often referred to as “the general map.”

Published in 1826, the completed map spanned 44 square feet and was a crucial tool for Virginia’s Board of Public Works to plan the Commonwealth’s internal improvements.

The talk will complement the Library’s exhibition, “Mapping the Commonwealth, 1816–1826,” which is on display in the Library’s Exhibition Gallery through June 7, 2025. Cassandra Farrell, the Library’s senior map archivist and curator of the exhibition, will serve as presenter.

To register for the event, visit the Library’s calendar at va-virginia.libcal.com. A link to the virtual talk will be provided upon registration.