Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

United States Pennsylvania Westmoreland County

Historical Facts

 * Parent Counties: Formed from Bedford County 26 February 1773.
 * County Seat: Greensburg
 * Neighboring Counties: residents may also have records in Armstrong (north)  •  Fayette (south)  •  Allegheny (west)  •  Cambria (east)  •  Washington (southwest)  •  Somerset (southeast)  •  Indiana (northeast)  •  Butler (northwest)

Boundary Changes
Several counties were set off over the years.


 * 28 March 1781: Washington County
 * 26 September 1783: Fayette County
 * 24 September 1788: Allegheny County
 * 12 March 1800: Armstrong County
 * 30 March 1803: Indiana County

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


 * Feightner Cemetery, Greensburg BillionGraves
 * Union Cemetery, Arnold BillionGraves

The Mennonite Heritage Center 565 Yoder Road Harleysville PA 19438-1020 215-256-3020 [mailto:library@mhep.org library@mhep.org] Hours: Tuesday thru Friday, 10am–5pm, Saturday, 10am–2pm The Cemetery Database at the Mennonite Heritage Center includes 86,000 burial records from 125 local cemeteries. Records cover cemeteries in the counties of Berks, Bucks, Butler, Chester, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, and Westmoreland. The database provides transcriptions from Mennonite, Brethren, Lutheran, Reformed, Union, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, community, and private cemeteries. Search the list of cemeteries and the alphabetical surname lists in Adobe PDF format. Visit the Mennonite Heritage Center to search the cemetery database by various criteria. The transcriptions are available for further research at the MHC library.

Census

 * 1783 - 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.

Church Records
The Westmoreland County Historical Society's library has church records and histories. You can look at them at their library for free if you are a member or for a minimal fee if you are not. Check their webpage for current prices. You can also have research in the records by mail. Instructions are under "Genealogy and Research" on their Internet site.

Additional church records can be located at Linkpendium and by searching the Family History Library Catalog. The FHLC has a plethora of for Westmoreland County, many are limited in the time frame they cover. When searching the FHL catalog, be sure to also search at the town and township level.

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 the church records of:
 * Burrell: Bethesda Lutheran Church
 * Greensburg: Christ Episcopal Church
 * Hempfield: Herold's Reformed Church
 * Irwin: Covenant United Presbyterian Church; First Presbyterian Church; First United Church of Christ
 * Larimer: St. John's United Church of Christ
 * Latrobe: Latrobe Methodist Church; United Brethren in Christ
 * Ligonier: St. James Lutheran Church
 * Murrysville: Christ's Lutheran Church
 * Schuylkill: St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church
 * Trafford: Trinity United Methodist Church
 * Vandergrift: First United Methodist Church; First United Presbyterian Church

Catholic

 * 1843–1943 "100 years of the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese 1843–1943". Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society Quarterly, 17:1. FamilySearch Library book 974.8 B2wg. Contains chronolgy, map, county-by-county information.

Lutheran

 * 1792–1753 Births, Baptisms of the First Lutheran Church, Westmoreland County, Greensburg, Pennsylvania at Ancestry.com - $; typescript only

Presbyterian

 * Inscriptions of the Unity Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Unity Township, Westmoreland County, PA. at Ancestry.com - $; index only

Land and Property
Land records in Westmoreland County began in 1773. These records are filed with the Recorder of Deeds office in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

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


 * 1850–present The Recorder of Deeds offers online access to land records. The online indexes are free but fees apply for copies.

Land Records on Microfilm


 * 1773-1886 Deeds and Index

Additional Resources

Note that the "Maps" section below includes maps related to land ownership.

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 Westmoreland County Pennsylvania Land in online catalogs such as:


 * Historical Society of Pennsylvania
 * WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog.)
 * (For instructions see FHL Catalog Place-name Search.)

Maps
Click the image to view an enlarged version


 * Ancestor Tracks has posted free downloadable images from the Map of Westmoreland Co. Pennsylvania from Actual Surveys by D.J. Lake &amp; N.S. Ames, published by Wm. J. Barker in 1857
 * Ancestor Tracks also has an Atlas of the Township Warrantee Maps of Westmoreland County and a Companion Scans of Township Warrantee Maps plus Current Road Overlay CD ($). They show precise outlines in metes and bounds of each original tract and all surrounding tracts in each 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 each recorded patent.
 * The 1867 Atlas of Westmoreland County has been posted at USGenWeb Digital Map Library.

Revolutionary War
Westmoreland County men also served in the 3rd Pennsylvania Regiment, the 8th Pennsylvania Regiment and the 9th Pennsylvania Regiment.

Newspapers
Newspapers of Westmoreland 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 Westmoreland County, Pennsvylvania.
 * Death Notices Westmoreland County, Pennsvylvania Genealogy Project

Newspaper Excerpts and Abstracts


 * Original research and additions by Della Reagan Fischer; compiled and typed by William L. Iscrupe, Marriage and Death Notices from Weekly Newspapers, 1818-1865, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Volume 1 (Laughlintown, PA:Southwest Pennsylvania Genealogical Services, c1977)
 * Originally compiled by Della R. Fischer, Death Notices from Weekly Newspapers, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, 1866-1900 (Laughlintown, PA:Southwest Pennsylvania Genealogical Services, c1983) ;
 * Collected and arranged by Carmella Corcetti Shirley, Marriages &amp; Anniversaries : Taken from the Leader Times Newspapers, 1922-1962-1997-1998-1999-2001 &amp; the Vandergrift News, 1997-1998-1999-2001 (Chicora, Pennsylvania:Mechling Bookbindery, c2002)

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


 * PA-Roots Obituaries for Westmoreland County, PA.
 * Obituaries Westmoreland County, PA Genealogy Project
 * Obituary Index created from their collection of obituaries of the years of individuals who resided in or had connections to Westmoreland County. Courtesy of Baltzer Meyer Historical Society.

Obituary Excerpts and Abstracts


 * Compiled by Yvonne L. Blair Morgan, Index of Census, Newspaper Obituary Files and Microfilm:Fayette, Green, Washington and Westmoreland Counties (Apollo, Pennsylvania:Closson Press, c2003) ;
 * Copied by Della Reagan Fischer, Pa. Argus Marriages and Deaths, 10-17-1900 - 03-04 and 05 : Tribune - Review newspaper office, Greensburg, Westmoreland County, Pa., copied from micro-film 2285, 2509 (McKeesport, PA:Fischer, 1976)
 * Compiled by Della Reagan Fischer, 7491 Death Notices, 1866-1900 : Old Newspapers, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Copied from Microfilms, the Tribune-Review Newspaper Office, Greensburg, Pa (1969)
 * Compiled by Carmella Corcetti Shirley, Obituary Extractions Taken from The Vandergrift News, Vandergrift, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, 1992-1996 (S.I.:C.C. Shirley, 1996?, c2002)

Probate Records
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

Westmoreland County Only:


 * 1773–1917 – Westmoreland County Probate Records

Courthouse
Westmoreland County Courthouse 2 N. Main Street P.O. Box 1630 Greensburg, PA 15601 Phone: 724-830-3734


 * The Prothonotary's office is on the fifth floor. They have Naturalization records from 1804.
 * The Register of Wills office is in Suite 301. This office preserves vital records.
 * The Clerk of Courts office is in Suite 203.

Taxation

 * 1783, 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 ($).

Birth

 * 1782-1930 - - free index. Not complete for all years.
 * 1852-1854 – Pennsylvania Births Ancestry.com – $ Index with images.

The Register of Wills have incomplete birth records from 1852 to 1855 and complete records 1893 to 1905. You may obtain the records from:

Register of Wills 2 N. Main Street, Suite 301 Greensburg, PA 15601 Phone: 724-830-3177 Fax: 724-850-3976 Email: row@co.westmoreland.pa.us Hours: Monday, Wednesday to Friday 8:15 am to 4:15 am Tuesday 8:15 am to 6:00 pm

Marriage

 * 1700-1821 - Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties.
 * 1802-1976 - - free index. Not complete for all years.
 * Pre-1810 – Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties. Includes 35,000 marriage records from vol. VIII of of the second series of the Pennsylvania Archives.
 * 1852-1854 - Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) Index with 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.

The Register of Wills have incomplete marriage records from 1852 to 1855 and complete records 1885 to the present. You may obtain the records from:

Register of Wills 2 N. Main Street, Suite 301 Greensburg, PA 15601 Phone: 724-830-3177 Fax: 724-850-3976 Email: row@co.westmoreland.pa.us Hours: Monday, Wednesday to Friday 8:15 am to 4:15 am Tuesday 8:15 am to 6:00 pm

In May 2012, the Register of Wills of the Orphan Court discovered marriages performed by District Judge, Raymond Tubbs from 1974 to 1989 had not been filed. This office is now trying to reconstruct the marriages. To learn about this problem visit their website. at http://www.co.westmoreland.pa.us/westmoreland/cwp/view.asp?a=1453&amp;q=639334.

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

Death

 * 1852-1854 – Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry.com – $ Index with images.

The Register of Wills have incomplete death records from 1852 to 1855 and complete records 1893 to 1905. You may obtain the records from:

Register of Wills 2 N. Main Street, Suite 301 Greensburg, PA 15601 Phone: 724-830-3177 Fax: 724-850-3976 Email: row@co.westmoreland.pa.us Hours: Monday, Wednesday to Friday 8:15 am to 4:15 am Tuesday 8:15 am to 6:00 pm

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. Westmoreland County. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * An early history of the county published in 1906 and biographical sketches of early residents can be found in this transcription project: Westmoreland County History.
 * An early history of the county published in 1906 and biographical sketches of early residents can be found in this transcription project: Westmoreland County History.