Virginia Historical Society

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Contact Information
E-mail: [mailto:fpollard@vahistorical.org fpollard@vahistorical.org] (Frances Pollard, Chief Librarian)

Address: Hours: Monday - Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed federal holidays. Public transportation, maps, and directions:


 * Parking: Free parking in the VHS lot behind the museum.
 * Map and Directions to the Virginia Historical Society

Internet sites and databases:


 * Virginia Historical Society/Virginia Museum of People and Culture home page. Research, Exhibitions, Education, Visit, Membership, Giving, Publications, News &amp; Events, About the VHS, Museum and Shop, Virginia House, Contact Us, Social Media sites, Calendar, Enews, and donate.
 * Virginia Historical Society Genealogical Research Page.
 * Virginia Historical Society Online Catalog: Search Library and Manuscript collections by keywords, subjects, authors, titles, or call number. Also available on WorldCat.
 * Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, tables of contents, indexes, online access tips
 * "Unknown No Longer." A Database of Virginia Slave Names.

Collection Description

 * The VHS does have numerous materials and collections helpful to genealogists, such as access to Ancestry.com; various indexes such as Virginia Historical Index; Census Records; Land Records; Ship Passenger Lists and Immigration Lists; Military Records; Wills; Vital records and Obituaries; county court records and histories; Bible records; genealogical notes; newspapers; bound serials, maps; 19th–21st century photographs; and African-American genealogy.

Tips

 * It should be noted that most of our collections have not been digitized and thus are not available for viewing online. Please note that we have closed stacks. This means that researchers must fill out call slips in order to request and examine materials from the library collections. More information about library procedures.
 * The VHS researchers can provide Research Services (maximum of one hour) for a prepaid fee of $25.00. This includes a limited number of photocopies.
 * Fill out this form to Research by mail.
 * Fill out this form to Research online.
 * Submit your Request for photocopies of library and manuscript materials online.

Guides

 * Genealogy at VHS Ancestry.com, indexes, censuses, land, passenger lists, military, wills, marriages, courts, Bible records, births and deaths, newspapers, maps, African American genealogy.
 * Books and Research Guides at the VHS
 * Research Guides African American, Civil War, Genealogy, Finding aids, photographs, Richmond properties.

Alternate Repositories
If you cannot visit or find a record at the , a similar record may be available at one of the following.

Similar Collections


 * Family History Library, Salt Lake City, 450 computers, 3,400 databases, 3.1 million microforms, 4,500 periodicals, 310,000 books of worldwide family and local histories, civil, church, immigration, ethnic, military, and records pertaining to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
 * Allen County Public Library (Indiana) has a premier genealogical periodical collection, genealogies, local histories, databases, military, censuses, directories, passenger lists, American Indians, African Americans, Canadians.

Neighboring Collections


 * Library of Virginia, digital sources, databases, vital, military, newspapers, periodicals, tax, history, land records.
 * National Archives I, Washington DC, census, pre-WWI military service &amp; pensions, passenger lists, naturalizations, passports, federal bounty land, homesteads, bankruptcy, ethnic sources, prisons, and federal employees.
 * Daughters of the American Revolution Library, Washington DC, Revolutionary War and colonial period, including family and local histories, cemetery transcriptions, Bible records, 15,000 genealogical membership applications.
 * Maryland State Archives, census, court, church, vital, military, probate, land, tax, immigration, naturalizations.