To say that William “Bill” Lawrence loves history is an understatement.
As a member of the Gloucester Friends of the Museum of History, the Genealogical Society, and the Historical Society, he serves on the boards and is treasurer of both the Genealogical and the Historical societies, as well as serving as a docent at the museum one day a month.
A genuine scholar and history buff, Lawrence is passionate about learning more about Gloucester County and then recording and writing down as much as possible in his retirement years. Hearing Lawrence speak of so many old places in the county is like listening to a bottomless well of information. He has authored numerous books and has co-authored literally scores of others. All of these books showcase the many places in Gloucester that have been or are related to the community’s history.
Recently, Lawrence was interested in how many old stores were in the county. He knew there were a lot, but after researching and talking with folks, he found there had been more than 140 old stores through the years.
While he is not into photography, he enjoys looking through old photos of Gloucester and appreciates the many tidbits he can glean from them. The backgrounds of various ones give him perspective as to where certain buildings were and their structure, size, and changes that may have been made. Often buildings are lost or in a wooded area that is difficult to access.
One of his favorite old buildings was the home of his great-aunt Grace Smith who was married to B.B. Roane, longtime clerk of Gloucester’s Circuit Court. That building is located on Main Street between the Masonic Lodge and Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church. That house had been located on the site of the former SunTrust Bank building (now Truist) and was moved in 1911 to its current location. It had served as the old telephone operators’ building, he said.
Genealogist Roane Hunt of Gloucester nominated Bill to the Gloucester Historical Committee after they had worked on a project to have the land tax and property tax records scanned. These covered the years from 1782 to 1870. This is quite useful since the county’s deeds had been lost in at least two fires over the years, Lawrence said. His first book was putting together information on the museum simply to be able to answer questions for visitors on the building itself. As a docent, he answers questions about museum exhibits and conducts tours as requested.
Carol Steele, current Acting County Administrator, nominated Lawrence in 2014 for the prestigious individual Award of Merit from the American Association of States and Local History. “It’s impossible to capture the time and effort Bill has donated and his dedication to the collection and preservation of history and the impact he has made,” Steele said. “People from Gloucester and miles beyond are able to read and understand more about our county’s and the country’s early history.
“Bill is a soft-spoken gentleman who is modest and works quietly without people realizing his gifts,” she continued. “We chose not to tell him about this nomination as we knew he would discourage us from nominating him. His modesty, sincerity and work ethic complement his accomplishments that we appreciate so much.”
The Gloucester Historical Society gives scholarships annually to students who live in and/or have a connection to Gloucester. Currently a PhD student scholarship recipient is working on old schools of Gloucester. This effort, it is hoped, will lead to a book on the schools of Gloucester.
Lawrence earned his undergraduate degree at North Carolina State University in nuclear engineering and worked at the Surry Nuclear Power Plant for two years. However, after buying land at the old home place and having to travel 85 miles to work, he decided he wanted to teach at Rappahannock Community College which was then just getting started. Since a master’s degree was required, he attended William and Mary where he received his M.S. in Applied Science, Computer Specialization. His teaching career (1972-2004) included professor of math and computer skills in the 1980s in a one-room lab. He retired from RCC in 2004.
Lawrence grew up in Hampton but had many connections to Gloucester from early on. Besides his great-uncle by marriage, B.B. Roane who served as Gloucester’s clerk of the Circuit Court for 56 years, his cousin Peter W. Smith Jr. was the county treasurer, and cousins Emma and Ada Cox ran the old Botetourt Hotel. His grandfather’s brother, Alton Lindsay, born and raised at Belroi, was the superintendent of the Hampton schools where Lawrence attended. His great-great-grandfather, Peter W. Smith Sr., bought the island in 1867 where Bill now lives, and the Mount Pleasant farm in 1870 on what is now the T.C. Walker Education Center.
Bill and his wife Carol built their home in Zanoni on L’s Island in the Ware River. There they raised their children Emily and Will near grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. The L comes from the family names, all of whom are either Lawrence or Lindsay.
The foundation for the first road to L’s Island was originally large pine trees buried in the mud. “You know, they don’t rot when buried in mud,” Lawrence said. Next, over 1,000 railroad ties were purchased for 10 cents apiece and hauled for 25 cents each from Cheatham Annex to build a corduroy road. Finally, sand and dirt were put down to complete the project. It’s still the current road.
Lawrence writes his books for the benefit of the museum. The profits go to the Friends of the Museum. He receives no compensation for his work.
He said it’s always great to find “new” items, new/old pieces of interest to include in “The Family Tree Searcher,” a publication of the Gloucester Genealogical Society. This booklet is published semi-annually and is available online. He encourages anyone to look up the booklet and check the latest new/old facts on Gloucester.
When asked what he would want his community and its citizens to know, he states without hesitation, “The love for Gloucester history.”
It is surely his passion.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Gazette-Journal welcomes readers’ suggestions for Community Spotlight. Please call 804-693-3101 or email editor@gazettejournal.net with your suggestion.