Fayette County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

United States Pennsylvania  Fayette County

Guide to Fayette County, Pennsylvania ancestry, family history and genealogy 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.

Fayette County Pennsylvania Historical Facts


Parent Counties: Formed from Westmoreland County 26 September 1783.

County Seat: Uniontown

Neighboring Counties: Fayette County residents may also have records in


 * Westmoreland
 * Somerset
 * Greene
 * Washington
 * Preston County, West Virginia
 * Monongalia County, West Virginia
 * Garrett County, Maryland

The county is named after Revolutionary War hero, the Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834).

Description
The county was named after the Marquis de Lafayette. It's county seat is Uniontown. It was organized September 26, 1783. It is located in the Southwest corner of the state.

Boundary Changes

 * 27 January 1750: Cumberland County was created from Lancaster County, including the area of future Fayette County.


 * 9 March 1771: Bedford County was created from Cumberland County, covering much of the southwest portion of the state including future Fayette County.


 * 26 February 1773: Westmoreland County was formed from Bedford County, taking the area of future Fayette 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.

Bible Records

 * Fayette County Bible Records at Fayette County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

Biographies

 * Gresham and Wiley Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Fayette County, Pennsylvania at Fayette County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

Cemeteries
Cemetery records often reveal birth, marriage, death, relationship, military, and religious information.

Church Records
A good reference for early churches in Fayette County is History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The various churches are discussed at the township level in volume 2. Some of the early denominations include: German Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian.



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.


 * Contains church records of:
 * Belle Vernon: First United Methodist Church
 * Brownsville: Christ Episcopal Church
 * Fayette: Little Redstone United Methodist Church
 * Uniontown: St. Peter's Episcopal Church

Baptist
A copy of the Minutes of the Redstone Association of Pennsylvania, 1804-1836 is available at the Primitive Baptist Library in Carthage, Illinois.

Great Bethel Baptist Church, Uniontown


 * 1770-1825 Great Bethel Baptist Church, Uniontown, Baptism Index 1770-1825 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

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.

Presbyterian
First Presbyterian Church, Brownsville


 * 1853-1875 First Presbyterian Church, Brownsville, Baptism Index 1853-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.
 * 1864-1867 First Presbyterian Church, Brownsville, Marriage Index 1864-1867 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

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. Erie 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.

Prothonotary

 * 1784–1818 Execution Dockets Includes indexes.
 * 1787–1875 Sheriff's Deed Books Includes unknown court docket, 1784–1804.

Orphans' Court

 * 1783–1802 Orphans' Court Docket
 * 1783–1808 Minutes of the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace

Register of Wills (see Vital Records)

 * Fayette County Courthouse 61 East Main Street Uniontown, PA 15401 Phone: 724-430-1206 Fax: 724-430-1275

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 Fayette County began in 1784. These records are filed with the Recorder of Deeds office in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. If your ancestor lived in the area which became Fayette County, they may have filed land claims with Virginia when the area was know as the District of West Augusta.

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


 * 1975–present Fayette County offers free online access to indexes since 1975. Fees apply to view images since 1988.

Land Records on Microfilm


 * 1773–1950 Deeds, Mortgages, 1784-1867; Index, 1773-1950 Early indexes are for the part of Westmoreland County that would later become Fayette County.
 * 1787–1875 Sheriffs' Deed Books
 * 1769–1900 Surveys and Warrants

Maps


 * MacInnes, Sharon Cook and Angus MacInnes. Early Landowners of Pennsylvania : Atlas of Township Warrantee Maps of Fayette 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 Fayette 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 Fayette County and a Companion Scan 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 warrantees and patentees; dates of the warrant, survey, and patent; and the patent and survey book and page of the recorded patent.

General

 * Military Records including War of 1812, Mexican War, Revolutionary War, Civil War rosters and regiments. At Fayette County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

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

Naturalization and Citizenship
Original Naturalization Records on Microfilm


 * 1802–1906 Aliens' Records - includes index
 * 1906 Index to Declaration of Intentions and Petitions for Naturalization from 1906

Newspapers
Newspapers of Fayette County


 * Pennsylvania Newspapers
 * Chronicling America US Newspaper Directory

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 Fayette County.
 * Newspaper Records at Fayette County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

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


 * USGenWeb Fayette County Obituaries
 * PA-Roots Obituaries

Obituary Indexes


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

Obituary Excerpts and Abstracts


 * Rentmeister, Jean R. Marriage and Death Notices Extracted From the Genius of Liberty and Fayette Advertiser of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, 1805-1854 (Apollo, Pennsylvania:Closson Press, c1981) ; Includes index.
 * Miller, Kathryn Cooley, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, Gleanings (Apollo, Pennsylvania:Closson Press, c1990) ;

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes


 * Fayette County Genealogy Project, Wills at PAGenWeb


 * Fayette County Will 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

Fayette County only:


 * Fayette County Probate Records

Online Will Abstracts


 * Some Fayette County Wills at Fayette County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

Original Probate Records on Microfilm


 * 1783–1869 Orphans' Court Records - includes index 1783–1950, bonds 1834–1866, executor and administrator accounts 1850–1871, auditors reports 1864–1870, court minutes 1851–1860
 * 1784–1812 Continuance Dockets
 * 1784–1917 Wills - includes bonds 1784–1834 and index to wills 1784–1949

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

 * Fayette County Courthouse 61 East Main St. Uniontown, PA 15401 Phone: 724-430-1230 Fax: 724-430-1001


 * The Register of Wills is the filing and docketing office for the Orphans Court. Register of Wills Phone: 724-430-1206 Fax: 724-430-1275


 * Clerk of Court Janice Snyder Phone: 724-430-1253 Fax: 724-438-8410


 * Prothonotary Phone: 724-430-1272 Fax: 724-430-4555

Family History Centers
The Monessen Public Library and District Center may also order microfilms from FamilySearch.

Societies

 * Fayette County Genealogical Society 24 Jefferson St. Uniontown, PA 15401-3602 Email: [mailto:fcgs_mail@yahoo.com fcgs_mail@yahoo.com]


 * Fayette County Historical Society P.O. Box 193 Uniontown, PA 15401 Phone: 724-439-4422


 * Brownsville Historical Society P.O. Box 24 Brownsville, PA 15417 Phone: 724-785-6882


 * Bullskin Township Historical Society P.O. Box 724 Mt. Pleasant, PA 15666 Phone: 724-887-7729


 * Chestnut Ridge Historical Society P.O. Box 62 Jones Mills, PA 15646 Phone: 724-593-3102


 * Connellsville Area Historical Society 299 S. Pittsburgh Street Connellsville, PA 15425 Phone: 724-628-5640 Email: [mailto:chs@cvzoom.net chs@cvzoom.net]


 * Dunbar Historical Society P.O. Box 366 Dunbar, PA 15431 Phone: 724-277-8448 Email: [mailto:myers@zoominternet.net myers@zoominternet.net]


 * Greater Tri Town Area Historical Society Box 189 Dawson, PA 15428 Phone: 724-529-2427 Email: [mailto:jmpyda@lcsys.net jmpyda@lcsys.net]


 * Masontown Historical Society P.O. Box 769 Masontown, PA 15461


 * Fort Mason Historical Society P.O. Box 246 Masontown, PA 15461 Phone: 724-583-9944


 * Smock Historical Society 203 Main Street Smock, PA 15480 Phone: 724-677-2415

Taxation

 * 1785-1786 Returns of Taxables for the Counties of Bedford (1773 to 1784), Huntingdon (1788), Westmoreland (1783, 1786), Fayette (1785, 1786), Allegheny (1791), Washington (1786) and Census of Bedford (1784) and Westmoreland (1783). (Pennsylvania Archives, Series 3, Vol. 22). Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Google Books - free.


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

Vital Records
See also How to order Pennsylvania Vital Records


 * 1750-1890 Fayette County, Pennsylvania Vital Records, 1750-1890 at Ancestry ($).

Birth
In Fayette County the Register of Wills maintains the birth records created from 1893–1905. These records have been microfilmed by FamilySearch and may be ordered into a local FamilySearch Center or authorized public library for a small fee.


 * 1893-1905 Birth Registers

Additionally Fayette County has a record entitled: Birth Returns and Other Records for Negores and Mulattos, 1785, 1788–1826, 1830. This record registers births of "negro" or "mulatto" children filed with the county. According to the Pennsylvania State Archives website "information provided is the date of the child's birth, name of the child, names of the parents, and place of residence. Most of these records were filed with the Clerk of the Peace for Fayette County who also maintained certificates of slave registry. All records were prepared after the passage of the Act of the Gradual Abolition of Slavery in Pennsylvania. The certificates of slave registry, which encompass several counties, contain the registration date, place of residence of the slave owner, gender and age of the slave, and occasionally the slave's date of birth and mother's name. Additional miscellaneous documentation in this series include other materials dealing with slavery or particular slaves in the county."

A portion of this series has been transcribed by G.D. Dixon an is available on the Afrigeneas.com website. The link is:


 * 1788-1820 Negro and Mulatto Register: Birth Records for Negroes and Mulattoes, 1788-1820

This record is also available on microfilm through FamilySearch:


 * 1788-1826 Birth Returns for Negroes and Mulattoes, 1788-1826: Includes Certificates of Registry Received from Other Counties 1785, 1803, 1805, 1807-1808 and Miscellaneous Papers 1823, 1830 –.

Marriage
Fayette County marriages are maintained by the Register of Wills. Fayette County began recording marriages in 1885, however, some marriages were recorded from 1852-1855. To obtain a marriage record you may go to or mail the Register of Wills office. They will perform searches but they must have the first and last names and an approximate date of the marriage. There is a search fee.

A free online index with images to some Fayette County marriages can be found in the FamilySearch Records Collection, Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885–1950. Most of the records consist of marriage licenses, certificates, applications, docket books, and affidavits. These records have been microfilmed.


 * 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.
 * 1852-1855 Fayette County Marriage Index 1852-1855 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.
 * 1852-1855 –Marriages and Deaths
 * 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.
 * 1885-1950  Extracted marriage records – free. This database is incomplete for all counties. May also contain marriage records earlier than 1885.
 * 1885-1916 Marriage License Dockets (Fayette County, Pennsylvania),
 * 1885-1889 Marriages (Index of Brides A–R), Fayette County Genealogy Project

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

Death
Fayette County did record a few early deaths in the 1852–1855 time period, however, recording deaths really did not begin until 1893. Records from 1893–1905 are available at the Register of Wills office in Uniontown. You may request a death record from the Register of Wills. There is a search fee.

Additional resources:


 * 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry.com – $ Index with images.
 * 1852-1855 Marriages and Deaths
 * 1853-1855 Fayette County Death Index 1853-1855 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.
 * 1893-1904 Fayette County Death Index 1893-1904 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1893-1905 Record of Death
 * Some Deaths Extracted from Fayette County Death Register, Fayette County Genealogy Project

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. Check 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

Fayette County Pennsylvania Genealogy Websites

 * Fayette County, PA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Linkpendium - Fayette County
 * USGenWeb project
 * USGenWeb Archives - Fayette County
 * Fayette County Genealogical Society
 * Fayette County PA Genealogy