Avery County, North Carolina Genealogy

Guide to Avery County, North Carolina ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
Avery County is located in the northwestern portion of North Carolina and shares a border with Tennessee. It was named for Col. Waightstill Avery, a Revolutionary War officer and the first attorney general of North Carolina.

County Courthouse
Avery County Courthouse Main Street Newland, NC 28640 Phone: 828-733-8262 Avery County Website Register of Deeds has marriage and death records. Clerk Superior Court has divorce, probate, court and land records from 1911.

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:

Cemeteries

 * at FamilySearch

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1700-1970 - at FamilySearch — index
 * FamilySearch Places

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * Avery County Military records (USGenWeb Archives)

Revolutionary War 
 * 1779-1782  at FamilySearch

Civil War 
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1885-1953  at FamilySearch

World War I 
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch

World War II 
 * 1940-1948  at FamilySearch

Newspapers

 * Avery County Newspapers (Library of Congress)
 * Avery Journal-Times (Current newspaper)

Obituaries

 * Avery County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)

Other Records
County Records
 * 1833-1970  at FamilySearch

Probate Records

 * North Carolina Probate Records tips

Online Probate Records
 * 1660-1790 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry $
 * 1663-1979  at FamilySearch
 * 1663-1979 Avery County NC Loose Estates Index, 1663-1979
 * 1665-1998 North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry $
 * 1735-1970  at FamilySearch
 * 1760-1800 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry $

School Records
Yearbooks 
 * Avery County students at NC colleges. Yearbook Index. (NCGenWeb )

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Vital Records

 * 1800-2000 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Avery County marriage and death records can be ordered from the Register of Deeds.

Birth

 * 1800-2000  at FamilySearch
 * 1866-1964  at FamilySearch
 * 1913-1922  at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1914-1970 Avery County Birth Index 1914-1970. Batch  at FamilySearch.

Marriage

 * 1741-2004 North Carolina, United States Marriages at FindMyPast
 * 1741-2004 North Carolina Marriage Index 1741-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1759-1979  at FamilySearch
 * 1762-1979  at FamilySearch
 * 1763-1868  at FamilySearch

Death

 * 1898-1994  at FamilySearch
 * 1906-1930  at FamilySearch
 * 1908-2004 North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1909-1975 North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry $
 * 1931-1994  at FamilySearch

Divorce

 * 1926-1975  at FamilySearch
 * 1958-2004 North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry $

Libraries

 * Avery-Mitchell-Yancey Regional Library System Website

Museums

 * Avery County Historical Museum 1829 Shultz Circle PO Box 266 Newland, NC 28657 Phone: 828-733-7111 or 828-765-4247 Email: [mailto:averymuseum@gmail.com averymuseum@gmail.com] Website

Societies

 * Toe Valley Genealogical Society 491 Beaver Creek Road Spruce Pine, NC 28777 Website

Websites

 * NCGenWeb: Avery County genealogy resources; part of the national 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.