Virginia Tech® home

Preston Family Resources

This LibGuide features information about locating Preston Family resources at Virginia Tech Special Collections. We house published materials, as well as original family documents and research about branches of the Preston Family, Smithfield, Solitude, an

Historical Photographs

Special Collections and University Archives has a large collection of historical photographs, with particular emphases on local history and university history. This includes photographs of places of significance to Preston family history, like Solitude and Smithfield. In most cases, historical photographs are organized is folders by subject. We also have some individual collections of photographs. 

Some images from the Historical Photograph Collection have been digitized and are available online through our online portal. Requests for high resolution copies of images should be sent to Special Collections and University Archives. 

Vertical Files

Vertical files are usually subject or topic based files that we create here in Special Collections and University Archives. The contents of a file could include newspaper clippings, pamphlets/flyers, or other ephemeral materials on a topic. We have several series of vertical files which contain items about the Prestons. Each has a finding aid with a list of subjects/topics available.

Historical Maps

The majority of our Historical Map Collection focuses on Virginia and, more specifically, Southwest Virginia, but we have world, national, and regional maps, too. With maps dating back to the 17th century, these items can offer an interesting look at the changing landscape of Virginia and related areas. Our collection of Virginia Tech maps includes some history of Preston lands that were or continue to be part of the campus, as well.

Our historical maps are described online along with our manuscript collections.

You can also view maps by geographical area via our preserved, legacy map guide. Note: This resource has not been updated since 2018 and may be out of date. You can always use the link above to search of a map from the legacy guide.