Mason Family Account Book

In 2012, the University Libraries acquired a Mason family manuscript account book documenting the business, family, and personal accounts of Stevens Thomson Mason (1760-1803) and his son, Armistead Thomson Mason (1787-1819). Included in the accounting are extensive records for the operation of the family plantation, Raspberry Plain Farm, near Leesburg (Loudoun County), with many entries related to those enslaved by the family. Stevens Thomson Mason was the nephew of George Mason IV.

Following the acquisition of the account book, the Libraries created a digitized copy. This rich resource remained largely untapped until professors George Oberle and Cynthia Kierner, with the assistance of graduate research assistant Anne Dobberteen, co-taught a documentary editing course in Spring 2020 using the Mason family account book. Through this course, students began transcribing entries from the account book and conducting related research. This transcription and research project is ongoing and will lead to a valuable, public online research tool.