Until the late 1940s many rural areas of Virginia, including Charlotte Courthouse, did not have electric lines to every farm house. To be able to have electric lights and at least a radio, the farmer would erect a small building near the house in which he would place a number of Delco car batteries. These would be charged during the day from a propane or gas generator. At night, they would provide DC power to the house sufficient for lights and the radio.(Food was maintained initially with the "ice box" which literally was the equivalent of a cooler filled with ice. Later propane "refrigerators" were used.)