The Heritage Museum/Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society

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Contact Information
Email: [mailto:heritage@heritagecenter.com heritage@heritagecenter.com]

Website: The Heritage Museum/Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society

Address: P.O. Box 716 (mailing)

382 High Street (physical)

Dayton, VA  22821

Telephone: 540 879 2681

Hours of Operation: Mon-Sat 10a-5p  (Sun 1-5p, Apr-Oct)

Directions/Parking: Map

Description of Collections
The Heritage Museum has been called an “unexpected gem!”  With large galleries, changing exhibits, the Electric Map of Stonewall Jackson’s Valley Campaign of 1862, and an extensive Genealogy Research Library, The Heritage Museum is also the official Historic Dayton Welcome Center. Stop in for a Dayton walking tour guide, a browse in the book store, and friendly suggestions for visiting the Harrisonburg-Rockingham area. Maps and brochures are available for a wide range of activities in the Shenandoah Valley and beyond!

Admission Rates: Adults $8, Seniors $7, Children & Students free, Groups of 10 or more $7 each

As of March 2019, the Genealogy & Research Library is now affiliated with FamilySearch, the world’s collection of digitized genealogical records. To celebrate, fees to use the library have been waived! Come in and see what buds in the FamilySearch database sprout on your family tree.

For decades, faithful Historical Society volunteers have been collecting books, documents, and other records. The Genealogy Library is now an extensive resource for answers, not only about genealogy but also the history of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. The Genealogy Library includes surname books, obituary files, surname files, church records, burned records, marriage records, and birth and death records.

Researchers are assisted in the library by experienced and enthusiastic volunteers. Research requests may be ordered when visiting the Library is inconvenient. The website has the forms and fees for use in hiring a researcher.

The museum contains the following digital resources. Those with an "#" are on the museum website.


 * -NAMELIST DATABASE # - A searchable list of names from all of our digital records. (On Line Research / Database tab)
 * -PLACE NAMES DATABASE # - A searchable list of places in Rockingham County from several of our digital records. (On Line Research / Database tab)
 * -EARLY NEWSPAPERS DATABASE # - Digital copies of about 24,000 historic Rockingham County newspapers with about 550,000 page images are in the HRHS Library. This database is a searchable list of these newspapers. (On Line Research / Database tab). The HRHS library also has a free internet link to a large collection of online Rockingham newspapers for use by our patrons.
 * -ROCKINGHAM CEMETERIES # - A searchable list of tombstone names from all known cemeteries in Rockingham County. (On Line Research / Other Records tab)
 * -READ OUR ONLINE BOOKS # - HRHS is adding books to read on line. (Library / On Line Books tab)
 * -HRHS NEWSLETTERS # - Issues from 2000 forward. Many historical articles (On Line Research / Other Records tab)
 * -REVOLUTIONARY WAR SOLDIERS # - A list of Rockingham County soldiers in the Revolutionary War (On Line Research / Other Records	tab)
 * -CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS # - A list of more than 2,700 Rockingham County soldiers that served in the Civil War (On Line Research / Other Records tab)
 * -ORIGINAL COURTHOUSE RECORDS of Civil War Veterans, a list of Rockingham County Vets.
 * -ARCHIVE RECORDS - HRHS # - List of records available at HRHS. (Archives / Documents tab)
 * -ARCHIVE RECORDS - HRHS at JMU # - List of records on loan to JMU. (Archives / OtherCollections tab)
 * Works Project Administration Records # - An index of 257 articles. Descriptions of historical places researched in 1937. Printed copies of all articles are in the library. (Archives / OtherCollections tab)
 * THE ROCKINGHAM RECORDER # - Twelve issues containing historical information published by the Society with an index at the end of each volume. (On Line Research / Other Records tab)
 * PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION # - Historic images of over 5,000 photographs may be viewed online. (Archives / Photographs tab)
 * FAMILY BOOKS - A searchable list of names from the indexes in our collection of Family Histories. (An ongoing project).
 * BIBLE RECORDS - Copies of pages donated from family bibles.
 * FUNERAL HOMES - Funeral records from local morticians.
 * OBITUARIES - A searchable database of local deaths, the full obituary text is in filing cabinets.
 * MARRIAGES - A searchable database of records from Rockingham County Courthouse. Actual copies in library.
 * TAX RECORDS - Lists of early land records.
 * BURNED WILLS - Many of the wills that were partially burned during the Civil War. Indexed
 * CHURCHES - A searchable database of historical churches (An ongoing project).
 * MILLS - An index of old mills described in the four volumes of "Old Mills of Rockingham County".
 * OLD MICROFILM RECORDS - A number of microfilm records which includes items such as store ledgers, DAR, and Sons of Confederate Veteran applications.
 * COMMISSARY BOOK - A local ledger kept during the Civil War that lists stores issued to military units. No index.
 * PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RECORDS - 1782 to 1813 in Rockingham County. No index.
 * 1902 VOTER LIST - A list of Rockingham County voters.
 * FAMILY BOOKS - A searchable list of names from the indexes in our collection of Family Histories. (An ongoing project).
 * BIBLE RECORDS - Copies of pages donated from family bibles.
 * FUNERAL HOMES - Funeral records from local morticians.
 * OBITUARIES - A searchable database of local deaths, the full obituary text is in filing cabinets.
 * MARRIAGES - A searchable database of records from Rockingham County Courthouse. Actual copies in library.
 * TAX RECORDS - Lists of early land records.
 * BURNED WILLS - Many of the wills that were partially burned during the Civil War. Indexed
 * CHURCHES - A searchable database of historical churches (An ongoing project).
 * MILLS - An index of old mills described in the four volumes of "Old Mills of Rockingham County".
 * OLD MICROFILM RECORDS - A number of microfilm records which includes items such as store ledgers, DAR, and Sons of Confederate Veteran applications.
 * COMMISSARY BOOK - A local ledger kept during the Civil War that lists stores issued to military units. No index.
 * PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RECORDS - 1782 to 1813 in Rockingham County. No index.
 * 1902 VOTER LIST - A list of Rockingham County voters.
 * CHURCHES - A searchable database of historical churches (An ongoing project).
 * MILLS - An index of old mills described in the four volumes of "Old Mills of Rockingham County".
 * OLD MICROFILM RECORDS - A number of microfilm records which includes items such as store ledgers, DAR, and Sons of Confederate Veteran applications.
 * COMMISSARY BOOK - A local ledger kept during the Civil War that lists stores issued to military units. No index.
 * PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RECORDS - 1782 to 1813 in Rockingham County. No index.
 * 1902 VOTER LIST - A list of Rockingham County voters.
 * COMMISSARY BOOK - A local ledger kept during the Civil War that lists stores issued to military units. No index.
 * PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RECORDS - 1782 to 1813 in Rockingham County. No index.
 * 1902 VOTER LIST - A list of Rockingham County voters.
 * PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RECORDS - 1782 to 1813 in Rockingham County. No index.
 * 1902 VOTER LIST - A list of Rockingham County voters.
 * 1902 VOTER LIST - A list of Rockingham County voters.


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