Greene County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

Guide to Greene County, Pennsylvania ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The county was named for General Nathanael Greene. The county is located in the Southwest corner of the state.

County Courthouse
Greene County Courthouse 210 E. High Street 2nd Floor Waynesburg, PA 15370 Phone: 724-852-5312 Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts Phone: 724-852-5288/5289 Register & Recorder Phone: 724-852-5283/5284 Greene County Website

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

History Timeline
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.

Biographies

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

Church Records


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 $

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. List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

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

Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1796 -1941 Deed Books, 1796-1888; Index, 1796-1941. - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1796 -1948 Mortgage Index - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1950–present Greene County Recorder of Deeds offers online access to records. Fees apply.
 * Warrantees of land in the County of Greene, 1795-1894, 40 -Vol. XXVI, 3rd Series at Greene County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

Landowner 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.

Local 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

Maps and Gazetteers
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

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

Civil War
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1802 -1937 Naturalization index – card index A–S, S–Z; images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1927 -1956 Naturalization in the Court of Common Pleas of Greene County, Pennsylvania – card index of persons admitted; images only; click on the camera icon to view images

Newspapers
Newspapers of Greene County, Pennsylvania


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


 * 1947-2010  at FamilySearch
 * Greene County PA marriages, a PDF file of marriages taken from various newspapers and other sources
 * PA-Roots Newspaper Articles for Greene County.

Obituaries
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 and Records


 * 1683 -1993 Pennsylvania Wills and Probate Records 1683-1993 at Ancestry $
 * Greene County Wills and Estate Records at Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives
 * 1796-1967 Greene County Probate Records - at FamilySearch
 * 1796 -1918 Will Books - each volume indexed, includes letters of administration; images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1796 -1967 Index to Wills and Estates - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1797 -1869 Orphans' Court Dockets and Accounts - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1797 -1949 Orphans' Court Docket Index - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * Will Book 1, 5, 6 at Greene County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

Tax Records

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

Birth
Early births 1893 -1915 are located at Greene County. See the heading Greene County on this page for contact information.

Beginning in 1906 Pennsylvania birth records are available through the Department of Health. Birth records become public after 105 years.


 * 1726-1930  index. Not complete for all years. This collection is an 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  - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 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

Marriage
Greene County marriages are maintained at the Greene. 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 Greene County, Courthouse.


 * 1626-2016 Pennsylvania, United States Marriages at FindMyPast ($)
 * 1677-1950  at FamilySearch
 * 1700-1821 Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry $
 * 1725-1976  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 $
 * 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry $
 * 1885-1916 Index to Marriage License Dockets, 1885-1976 (Greene County, Pennsylvania) –  - images only; click on the camera icon to view 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.
 * 1887-1916 Greene County Marriage Index 1887-1916 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * List of marriage records from docket book of Jay Thompson, Justice of Peace at Carmichaels, PA – Transcribed by Debbie Ovechka, Pennsylvania Genealogy Trails

Death
Greene County began recording deaths in 1893 although some were recorded from 1852 -1854. You may request a death record from the Greene County Courthouse.
 * 1720-1999  at FamilySearch — index, some images
 * 1850-1880  at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry $
 * 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

Divorce
Divorce records are available through the office of the Prothonotary, Greene County Courthouse.

Archives

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

Family History Centers

 * Washington Pennsylvania Family History Center

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] Website 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] Website


 * Cornerstone Genealogical Society First Greene County Courthouse -Annex 144 East Greene Street Waynesburg, PA 15370 Mailing Address: PO Box 547 Waynesburg, Pennsylvania 15370 724-627-5653 Website

First Greene County Courthouse -- Annex 144 East Greene Street

Websites

 * Greene Connections
 * Greene County History Books
 * Greene County PA Genealogy
 * Greene County Records
 * Linkpendium - Greene County
 * USGenWeb project
 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.