Greene County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

Guide to Greene County, Pennsylvania ancestry, family history and genealogy in courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, Revolutionary War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.

Greene County Pennsylvania Historical Facts
Parent Counties: Formed from Washington County 9 February 1796.

County Seat: Waynesburg

Neighboring Counties: Greene County residents may also have records in:


 * Washington
 * Fayette
 * Marshall County, West Virginia
 * Wetzel County, West Virginia
 * Monongolia County, West Virginia

Description
The county was named for General Nathanael Greene. It's county seat is Waynesburg. It was organized February 9, 1796. It is located in the Southwest corner of the state.

Boundary Changes

 * 27 January 1750: Part of Cumberland County.


 * 9 March 1771: Became part of Bedford County when it was created from Cumberland County.


 * 26 February 1773: Part of Westmoreland County when it was formed from Bedford County.


 * 28 March 1781: Part of Washington County when it was created from Westmoreland County.

For animated maps illustrating Pennsylvania county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Pennsylvania County Boundary Maps" (1673-1878) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Records Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Biographies

 * Samuel P. Bates Biographical History of Greene County, 1888 at Greene County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

Cemeteries
Additional Cemetery Resources


 * PA-Roots
 * Names in Stone
 * Ancestry($)

County-wide Database - Multi-denominational

 * 1708-1985 Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985 at Historical Society of Pennsylvania – $, free to members of the society; Also available at Ancestry.com – $; 7,542,774 entries. This database is incomplete for all counties.

Catholic

 * "100 Years of the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese 1843–1943," Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 17, No. 1. . Chronology, map, county-by-county information.

Baptist
The Baptist appear to be the earliest denomination in Greene County. Organized in 1773, the Goshen Baptist Church with thirty members by the Reverend John Corbly.

Methodist
Organized by Reverend Thomas Hudson, Methodists organized in the Carmichaels area in 1784. In 1793 a log church was built for services.

Presbyterian
With heavy migration of Scotch and Scotch-Irish into Greene County, the Presbyterians established churches as early as 1775.

Protestant Episcopal
Because of the location of Greene County, many settlers were from Virginia and Maryland. These settlers brought their Anglican faith with them. However, after the American Revolution the Anglicans were reformed into Protestant Episcopal Churches.

Court of Common Pleas
The Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of Pennsylvania. Major civil and criminal cases are heard in these courts. Judges also decide cases involving adoption, divorce, child custody, abuse, juvenile delinquency, estates, guardianships, charitable organizations and many other matters. The Common Pleas courts are organized into 60 judicial districts. Greene County has its own judicial district. Judges of the Common Pleas courts are elected to 10-year terms. A president judge and a court administrator serve in each judicial district.

Clerk of the Court
The Clerk of Court's Office encompasses the criminal, juvenile and orphans’ divisions of the Court of Common Pleas.

Prothonotary
The Prothonotary is the keeper/clerk of the records of the Court of Common Pleas civil division.

History
Greene County was claimed by both Virginia and Pennsylvania until the Mason-Dixon Line was finalized in 1763-1767. The county was named for General Nathanael Greene, major general in the American Revolutionary War.

Published Histories

 * Over 950 fully-searchable books and published works covering much of Pennsylvania have been posted online at Historic Pittsburgh, hosted by the University of Pittsburgh's Digital Library

Land and Property
Land records in Greene County began in 1796. These records are filed with the Register and Recorder office in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts, indexes, mortgages, leases, grants, sheriff sales, land patents, and maps. Property records include liens as well as livestock brands and estray records.

The following are examples of available resources:

Online Land Records


 * 1950–present Greene County Recorder of Deeds offers online access to records. Fees apply.

Online Land Record Abstracts


 * Warrantees of land in the County of Greene, 1795-1894, 40 -Vol. XXVI, 3rd Series at Greene County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

Land Records on Microfilm


 * 1796–1941 Deed Books, 1796-1888; Index, 1796-1941.
 * 1796–1948 Mortgage Index

Maps


 * MacInnes, Sharon Cook and Angus MacInnes. Early Landowners of Pennsylvania: Atlas of Township Warrantee Maps of Greene County, PA. Apollo, Pennsylvania: Closson Press, 2005.

Note that the "Maps" section below includes maps related to land ownership.

Additional Resources

See Pennsylvania Land and Property for more information about using land records, especially about original land warrants, surveys, and patents filed at the state land office.

Additional resources can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Greene County Pennsylvania Land in online catalogs such as:


 * Historical Society of Pennsylvania
 * WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog.)
 * (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search.)

Maps

 * Maps of Pennsylvania (1673-1878)
 * Ancestor Tracks offers an Atlas of Township Warrantee Maps of Greene County and a Companion Scans of Township Warrantee Maps CD ($). They show precise outlines in metes and bounds of each original tract and all surrounding tracts in the township, giving the names of the warrantee and patentee; dates of the warrant, survey, and patent; and the patent and survey book and page of the recorded patent.
 * Images from the 1876 Caldwell's Atlas of Greene County have been posted online by Jan Slater

Revolutionary War
Men living in what is now Greene County (then Washington and Westmoreland counties) served in the 8th Pennsylvania Regiment.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Original Naturalization Records on Microfilm


 * 1802–1937 Naturalization index – card index A–S, S–Z
 * 1927–1956 Naturalization in the Court of Common Pleas of Greene County, Pennsylvania – card index of persons admitted

Newspapers
Newspapers of Greene County, Pennsylvania


 * Pennsylvania Newspapers
 * Chronicling America US Newspaper Directory
 * Greene County Messenger (Current)
 * Observer-Reporter (Current)
 * Democrat Messenger (1931-1958)
 * Waynesburg Republican (1859-1933)

Online Newspapers

To learn if there are newspapers online for a specific town or city in Pennsylvania, see news.google.com/newspapers and search for the town or the name of a newspaper.

Online Newspaper Abstracts


 * PA-Roots Newspaper Articles for Greene County.

Obituaries
Obituaries are generally found in local newspapers where the person died. However, sometimes an obituary is found in the location from which he or she originated. To find an obituary, see the information under the Newspaper heading

Online Obituary Abstracts


 * PA-Roots Obituaries for Greene County.
 * Greene County Obituaries at Greene County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

Obituary Index


 * Morgan, Yvonne L. Blair, Index of Census, Newspaper Obituary Files and Microfilm : Fayette, Green, Washington &amp; Westmoreland counties (Apollo, Pennsylvania:Closson Press, c2003)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes


 * Greene County Wills and Estate Records at Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives


 * 1683 - 1993 Pennsylvania Wills and Probate Records 1683-1993 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Online Probate Records

Original probate records for some Pennsylvania counties are available free online as digital images at FamilySearch.org. The dates vary significantly for each county and not all counties are listed. Some counties may only have probate indexes. This Pennsylvania collection of images may be browsed through the links listed below:

Complete Collection:


 * 1683-1994  at FamilySearch.org.

Greene County Only:


 * Greene County Probate Records

Probate Record Abstracts


 * Will Book 1, 5, 6 at Greene County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

Original Probate Records on Microfilm


 * 1796–1918 Will Books - each volume indexed, includes letters of administration
 * 1796–1967 Index to Wills and Estates
 * 1797–1869 Orphans' Court Dockets and Accounts
 * 1797–1949 Orphans' Court Docket Index

Repositories

 * List of Pennsylvania Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Archives

 * National Archives at Philadelphia 14700 Townsend Road Philadelphia, PA 19154-1096 Phone: 215-305-2044 Fax: 215-305-2052
 * National Archives at Philadelphia 14700 Townsend Road Philadelphia, PA 19154-1096 Phone: 215-305-2044 Fax: 215-305-2052

Courthouse

 * Greene County Courthouse 10 East High Street Waynesburg, PA 15370 Phone: 724-852-5280


 * Clerk of Court/ Orphan’s Court 1st Floor Phone: 724-852-5281 or 724-852-5282


 * Prothonotary 1st Floor Phone: 724-852-5288 or 724-852-5289

Museums
MeKeesport Regional History &amp; Heritage Center 1832 Arboretum Drive McKeesport, PA 15132 Phone: 412-678-1832 Email: [mailto:mckheritage@yahoo.com mckheritage@yahoo.com]

The heritage museum is free and open to the public. The McKeesport research center has newspapers and records related to the local schools, churches, organizations, and businesses. The research center is free for members. Check website for non-member fees.

Societies

 * Greene County Historical Society &amp; Museum 918 Rolling Meadows Road Waynesburg, PA 15370 Phone: 724-627-3204 Email: [mailto:gchsmuseum@windstream.net gchsmuseum@windstream.net]


 * Cornerstone Genealogical Society

Taxation

 * 1798 - Pennsylvania, U.S. Direct Tax Lists, 1798 at Ancestry ($).

Vital Records
See also How to order Pennsylvania Vital Records

Birth
Early births 1893–1915 are located at the County Courthouse. See the heading Court Records on this page for contact information.

Beginning in 1906 Pennsylvania birth records are available through the Department of of Health. Birth records become public after 105 years. A statewide index is available. Once an individual is located in the index a certificate can be obtained by writing to:

Division of Vital Records Attn: Public Records P.O. Box 1528 New Castle, PA 16103 Check website for cost.

Birth Records


 * 1726-1930  - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is an electronic index for the years 1726 to 1930. It is not necessarily intended to index any specific set of records. This index is not complete for any particular place or region. This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.
 * 1893-1903 Greene County 1893-1903 Birth Register at Greene County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives
 * 1893-1915; 1893-1968 – Register of Births, 1893-1915; Index to Birth Dockets, 1893-1968
 * 1894–1915 Births Available at the Pennsylvania State Archives and through local Family History Centers.
 * 1901-1902 Greene County Birth Index 1901-1902 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batches  and.

Marriage
Greene County marriages are maintained at the county courthouse. Greene County began recording marriages in 1885 although some registrations took place from 1852–1854. Marriage licenses are all digitally archived and copies can be requested through the mail. Marriage licenses from 1885 are available at the courthouse.


 * 1677–1950  at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1700-1821 Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties.
 * 1725-1976  - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is not necessarily intended to index any specific set of records. This index is not complete for any particular place or region. This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.
 * Pre-1810  Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties. Includes 35,000 marriage records from vol. VIII of of the second series of the Pennsylvania Archives.
 * 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images
 * 1885-1950  Extracted marriage records – free. Most of the records consist of marriage licenses, certificates, applications, docket books, and affidavits. This database is incomplete for all counties. May also contain marriage records earlier than 1885.
 * 1885-1916 Index to Marriage License Dockets, 1885-1976 (Greene County, Pennsylvania) –
 * 1887-1916 Greene County Marriage Index 1887-1916 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * List of marriage records from docket book of Jay Thompson, Justice of Peace at Carmichaels, PA – Transcribed by Debbie Ovechka, Pennsylvania Genealogy Trails
 * Greene County PA marriages, a PDF file of marriages taken from various newspapers and other sources

Divorce
Divorce records are available through the office of the Prothonotary. The office of the Prothonotary is located in the courthouse building.

Death
Greene County began recording deaths in 1893 although some were recorded from 1852–1854. These records are available in the County Courthouse in Waynesburg. You may request a death record from the Clerk of Courts.


 * 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry.com – $ Index with images
 * 1893-1915 Registration of Deaths  These county death records were microfilmed by FamilySearch. They are available through Family History Centers.
 * Greene County PA Death Records, Pennsylvania Genealogy Trails – taken fromThe Greene Hills Echo, Published by the Greene County Historical Society - Transcribed by Debbie Ovechka
 * 1893-1915 Greene County Death Register 1893-1915 at Greene County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives
 * 1901-1915 Greene County Death Index 1901-1915 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

Pennsylvania death certificates become public records after 50 years. An annual index is released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Records less than 50 years old are kept by the Division of Vital Records and are not public certificates. Only certain people can request a non-public death certificate. To order a non-public representative you must be:


 * Legal representative of decedent's estate
 * Immediate family member
 * Extended family member who indicates a direct relationship to the decedent
 * Power of Attorney (Please note that a Power of Attorney document is no longer valid upon the death of the individual)

See the Pennsylvania Department of Health website to obtain a copy of a non-public death certificate. Visit website for cost.

Indexes for Pennsylvania public death records are available online through the Department of Health for 1906 through 1961. Once an individual is located in the index a certificate can be obtained by writing to:

Division of Vital Records Attn: Public Records P.O. Box 1528 New Castle, PA 16103

Greene County Pennsylvania Genealogy Websites

 * Greene County, PA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Linkpendium - Greene County
 * USGenWeb project
 * Greene Co. History Books
 * Greene County Records
 * Greene Connections
 * Greene County PA Genealogy
 * Greene County PA Genealogy

Populated Places
Boroughs: Carmichaels | Clarksville | Greensboro | Jefferson | Rices Landing | Waynesburg

Townships: Aleppo | Center | Cumberland | Dunkard | Franklin | Freeport | Gilmore | Gray | Greene | Jackson | Jefferson | Monongahela | Morgan | Morris | Perry | Richhill | Springhill | Washington | Wayne | Whiteley