Washington Church Records

Before 1900 the largest religious groups in Washington were the Baptist, Roman Catholic, Methodist Episcopal, and Presbyterian churches. To help you learn more about Church records in Washington, see Guide to Church Vital Statistics Records in Washington (Seattle, Washington: Historical Records Survey, 1942; FHL book 979.7 A3gc; fiche 6051172).

The Family History Library has very few church records from Washington. Many denominations have collected their records in central repositories. You can write to the following addresses to learn where their records are located.

Missions
St. Francis Regis Mission - Jesuit 1845-1945

St. Ignatius Mission- Jesuit 1845-1855

St. Mary's Mission - Jesuit 1886-1960

Tsimshian Mission 1838

St. Paul's Mission - Jesuit 1845-1865

Whitman Mission (near Wallawalla)

Baptist
American Baptist - Samuel Colgate Historical Library 1106 South Goodman Street Rochester, NY 14620-2532 Telephone: 716-473-1740 Fax: 716-473-1740 Internet: http://www.baptisthistory.us/about.php

Methodist
United Methodist Church Collins Memorial Library University of Puget Sound 1500 North Warner Tacoma, WA 98416 Telephone: 253-756-3669 Fax: 253-756-3670 Internet: http://www.ups.edu/x15464.xml

(This library has records of ministers but not of church members.)

For a history of the Methodists in Washington see Erle Howell, Methodisim in the Northwest (Nashville, Tennessee: Pacific Northwest Conference Historical Society, 1966; FHL book 979 K2h).

Presbyterian
Presbyterian Historical Society Presbyterian Church U.S.A. 425 Lombard Street Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516 Telephone: 215-627-1852 Fax: 215-627-0509 Internet: http://www.history.pcusa.org/

For a history of the Presbyterians in Washington, see Robert Boyd, History of the Synod of Washington of The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America 1835-1909 (Seattle, Washington: The Synod, [1910?]; FHL book 979.7 K2p; film 1321456 item 4).

Roman Catholic
Archdiocese of Seattle Chancery Office 910 Marion Street Seattle, WA 98104 Telephone: 206-382-4560 Fax: 206-382-4840 Internet: http://www.seattlearch.org/