“Mapping the Commonwealth, 1816–1826” is on view from Oct. 21, 2024 through June 7, 2025. This exhibition is free and open to the public. Free parking is available underneath the Library of Virginia at 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA.

“Mapping the Commonwealth, 1816–1826” presents examples from 40 manuscript maps that highlight the painstaking task of creating Virginia's first official state map, one of the earliest in the nation. In 1816, teams of surveyors fanned out across the Commonwealth to survey every county in Virginia. The General Assembly needed an accurate map of the state to know the location of post roads, stage roads, rivers, mountains, villages and taverns — just about anything you can imagine — to plan the internal improvements needed to move goods to markets and to improve communication. Combining art and science, these surveys attest to the dedication, skill and stamina of surveying teams who worked without the benefit of GPS and today's technology.