E. F. Pearsall Co.

A Guide to the E. F. Pearsall Co. (Richmond, Va.) Records, 1896-1959
Call Number Mss3 P3165 a


Abstract

Main Entry: E. F. Pearsall Co. (Richmond, Va.)
Title: Records, 1896-1959.
Size: 651 items.
Historical Note: The E.F. Pearsall Co., a furniture and appliance store, had its earliest roots in Richmond, Va., in 1896 as T.R. Maxwell & Co., founded at 1445 E. Main Street in the Shockoe Bottom section of the city. Subsequent mergers altered the company's name to Maxwell & McGowan in 1898. George W. McGowan was the co-owner. In 1902, the firm became McGowan & Pearsall with the new partner, Edward Frank Pearsall. By 1919 the name became just E.F. Pearsall. Throughout its history, a main sales outlet was located at the E. Main Street location, but other branches were also established in Richmond at 726 N. 2nd St. (1927-1931), 1525-1529 W. Cary St. (1927-1955), 214-216 W. Broad Street (1929-1956), and lastly, as a used merchandise outlet, 1204 Hull St. Road (1931-1958). A Suffolk, Va., daybook reveals that a branch was once there as well. Receipts in the records show that Bluefield, W. Va., and Petersburg, Va., also had branches. A related company is also apparent on a 1911 receipt for Moseley, Smith & Pearsall of Newport News, Va. Stock included a wide variety of common household furnishings and appliances. Many families of varying ethnic backgrounds and low-income households were customers at the Richmond branches. The installment method of payment was most prevalent as seen in the financial records showing collections by agents of the firm.
Scope Note:

The records are divided into seven series, beginning with Series 1, correspondence, 1911-1912, especially noting the financial troubles of the Bluefield, W. Va., store and including letters from other companies to E.F. Pearsall Co. of Richmond, Va., asking for payment on overdue accounts, customers explaining why they are in arrears with payments, agents reporting on collection of debts and accepting jobs, and advertisers introducing their products to the company. Series 2 consists of a single photograph, ca. 1902, of the office and staff at 1445 E. Main St., Richmond, Va. Series 3 contains accounts, 1910-1912, mainly with companies supplying the furniture and appliances sold at E.F. Pearsall.

Series 4 is made up of daybooks, 1909-1933, showing daily business transactions.

Series 5 includes agent collection books, 1901-1938, detailing client's addresses with cash payments made on certain dates, and sometimes indicating their ability to make payments to the company. Series 6 contains cashbooks, 1904-1917, also kept often on an occurrence basis with transactions in chronological order. The final series, Series 7, is also the largest, containing ledger books, 1896-1959, which were usually kept as the final book of record with debit and credit tabulations for specific customers and businesses and sometimes interspersed with collection lists attributed to specific company agents.

Provenance: Gift of Laila W. and John W. Pearsall, Richmond, Va., in 2002. Accessioned 27 May 2003.
Restrictions: None.

Guide

Box 1
    Series 1. Correspondence, 1911-1912
    Series 2. Photograph, ca. 1902
 
Box 2
    Series 3. Accounts, 1910-October 1911
 
Box 3
    Series 3. Accounts, November 1911-May 1912
 
Box 4
    Series 4. Daybook, 1909-1910, 1916-1917 (a599)
      Daybook, 1909-1910 (a600)
      Daybook, 1911 (a 601)
 
Box 5
    Series 4, cont. Daybook, 1913-1914 (a602)
      Daybook, 1913-1914 (a603)
 
Box 6
    Series 4, cont. Daybook, 1924 (a604)
 
Box 7
    Series 4, cont. Daybook, 1925 (a605)
 
Box 8
    Series 4, cont. Daybook, 1925-1926 (a606)
 
Box 9
    Series 4, cont. Daybook, 1926-1927 (a607)
 
Box 10
    Series 4, cont. Daybook, 1932-1933 (a608)
 
Box 11
    Series 5. Collection book, 1901 (1609)
      Collection book, 1901-1902 (a610)
      Collection book, 1909 (a611)
 
Box 12
    Series 5, cont. Collection book, 1918 (a612)
 
Box 13
    Series 5, cont. Collection book, 1926-1927 (a613)
      Collection book, 1937-1938 (a614)
 
Box 14
    Series 6. Cashbook, 1904-1906 (a615)
      Cashbook, 1917 (a616)
      Cashbook, n.d. (a617)
 
Box 15
    Series 7. Ledger, 1896-1901 (a618)
 
Box 16
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, 1896-1901 (a619)
 
Box 17
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, 1899-1901 (a620)
 
Box 18
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, 1901-1907 (a621)
 
Box 19
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, 1903-1907 (a622)
 
Box 20
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, 1904-1911 (a623)
 
Box 21
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, 1905 (a624)
      Ledger, 1906-1908 (a625)
 
Box 22
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, 1909-1918 (a626)
 
Box 23
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, 1913-1924 and 1948 (a627)
      Ledger, 1910 (stray pages) (a628-630)
 
Box 24
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, 1910-1918 (a631)
 
Box 25
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, 1912-1919 (a632)
 
Box 26
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, 1911-1923 (a633)
 
Box 27
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, 1919-1936 (a634)
 
Box 28
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, 1913-1918 (a635)
 
Box 29
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, 1913-1918 (a636)
 
Box 30
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, January 1914-July 1915 (a637)
      Ledger, July 1915-January 1917 (a638)
 
Box 31
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, February 1917-April 1919 (a639)
      Ledger, April 1919-November 1921 (a640)
 
Box 32
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, 1917-1918 (a641)
      Ledger, 1917-1922 (a642)
 
Box 33
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, 1922-1929 (a643)
 
Box 34
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, 1925-1927 (a644)
 
Box 35
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, 1926-1940 (a645)
      Ledger, 1929 (a646)
 
Box 36
    Series 7, cont. Ledger, 1948-1959 (a647)
      Loose pages, undated (a648-651)
 

Return to the Online Catalog
Last updated: June 30, 2003