Lebanon County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

United States Pennsylvania Lebanon County

Lebanon County, Pennsylvania genealogy and family history research page. Guide to genealogy, history, and 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.

Historical Facts

 * Parent Counties: Formed from Dauphin and Lancaster Counties 16 February 1813.
 * County Seat: Lebanon
 * Neighboring Counties: residents may also have records in Schuylkill (north) • Berks (east) • Lancaster (south)  • Dauphin (west)

Lebanon County was predominantly settled by Germans.

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

BillionGraves:


 * Bismarck (Quentin) Cemetery, West Cornwell
 * Bucher's Meeting House Cemetery, South Lebanon
 * Hoke's Meeting House, North Cornwall

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:
 * Jonestown: St. Mark's Episcopal Church
 * Lebanon: St. Luke's Episcopal Church
 * Palmyra: Lutheran Church; Trinity United Church of Christ
 * Schaefferstown: St. Luke's Lutheran Church; St. Paul's United Church of Christ


 * 1700s - Marriages by Rev. John Casper Stoever (no denomination specified) at The USGenWeb Project - free.


 * 1700s - Baptisms by Rev. John Casper Stoever (no denomination specified) at The USGenWeb Project - free.


 * 1730–1779 – Pennsylvania, Lutheran Baptisms and Marriages at Ancestry.com – ($); records of southeastern counties kept by Rev. John Casper Stoever.


 * 1924-1929 - Baptisms and Marriages by Pastor Paul K. Bergman, Minister at Kleinfeltersville, Pennsylvania 1924-29 (no denomination specified) at The USGenWeb Project - free.


 * 1714-1800 - Humphrey, John T. Pennsylvania Births, Lebanon County, 1714-1800. Washington, D.C.: Humphrey Pub., 1996..


 * Information taken from these church records: records of John Casper Stoever, Jr.; Quitopahilla or Hill Lutheran Church in North Annville Township; Tulpehocken Reformed Church in Jackson Township; Bindnagel's Lutheran Church in North Londonderry Township; Tabor Reformed Church in Lebanon; Swatara Reformed Church in Bethel Township; Bethel Moravian Church; Salem Lutheran Church in Lebanon; Millbach Reformed Church in Millcreek Township; Klopp's Reformed Church in Bethel Township; Heidelberg Reformed Church in Schaefferstown; Heidelberg Lutheran Church in Schaefferstown; Ziegel Lutheran Church in Bethel Township; St. John's Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg; Kimmerling's Reformed Church in Lebanon Township; Campbelltown Lutheran Church in Campbelltown; Quitopahilla Reformed Church in Cleona; Zion Lutheran Church in Jonestown; Trinity Lutheran Church in Colebrook.


 * Lebanon County Church Histories, courtesy USGenWeb Archives

Union Churches
It was common in Lebanon County to have Union churches. These were churches where two congregations shared a common property. Each congregation usually held independent services. Often the Union churches in Lebanon County were Lutheran and Reformed congregations.

Catholic
The first Catholic church was built in Lebanon City between 1810-1814.

Lutheran
The first Lutheran congregation was Hill church established in 1733 by John Caspar Stoever, near Quitopahila. Early churches were also formed in Stouchsburg and North Annville and Lebanon. The Millbach church was a union church of Lutherans and Reformed Calvinists. In 1787 in Heidelburg and Lebanon, the Lutherans and Reformed churches had separate buildings. In most other towns there were union churches.


 * 1794-1906 - Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, 1794-1906: Zoar Evangelical Lutheran Church at Ancestry ($). Includes baptisms, marriages, and burials.


 * 1879-1957 - Goshert's Zion Lutheran Church, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, 1879-1957 at Ancestry ($). Includes baptisms, marriages, and burials.

Methodist
Methodism first entered Lebanon in 1827 and the first building was built in Lebanon City in 1840.

Moravian
The Moravians entered Lebanon County in 1740. Until 1752 it was the leading religious group in the county. Early congregations were formed in Bethel, Tulpehocken and Hebron.


 * 1750s-1830s - Burials at the Bethel Moravian Church in Swatara Township, Lebanon County at The USGenWeb Project - free.


 * 1775-1781 - "Extracts from the Records of the Moravian Congregation at Hebron, Pennsylvania, 1775-1781," The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 18 (1894):449-462. For free online access, see WeRelate.

Presbyterian
The Hanover Presbyterian Church was built in 1736 in a Scotch-Irish settlement. This settlement was previously in Dauphin County, before Lebanon County was formed, and in Lancaster County, before Dauphin County was formed. As the county grew, the Presbyterian faith became less prominent than the Lutheran, Reformed, Moravian and Mennonite congregations.

Reformed
Reformed congregations (also called Calvinists) often shared their property with local Lutheran congregations. These were called union churches. In 1787 in Heidelburg and Lebanon, the Lutherans and Reformed churches had separate buildings. Millbach, Heidelberg and Tulpehocken were all early Reformed congregations.


 * 1747-1875 - Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, 1747-1875: Millbach Reformed Congregation at Ancestry ($).


 * 1763-1769 - Kelker, Luther R. "Record of Marriages Performed by Rev. John Conrad Bucher, 1763-1769," The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 26 (1902):375-381. For free online access, see WeRelate.


 * 1765-1864 - Heidelberg Congregation, 1765-1864, Schaefferstown, Lebanon County, PA at Ancestry ($).


 * 1769-1864 - Lebanon County, Pennsylvania Marriages, 1769-1864: Trinity Tulpehocken Reformed Congregation at Ancestry ($).


 * 1800-1856 - Trinity Tulpehocken Reformed Congregation Births, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, 1800-56 at Ancestry ($).

United Brethren
The first congregation was established in Lebanon in 1820. Another church was built near Annville in 1823.

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. 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
The Prothonotory offices is found ubder the Departments tab.

Orphans' Court
Clerk of Orphans' Court County Courthouse Room 105 400 S. Eighth St. Lebanon, PA 17042 Phone: 1-717-228-4415

www.registerofwillsassoc.org


 * 1752-1882 Orphans Court records and Index


 * 1811-1905 Court Dockets,

Land and Property
Land records in Lebanon County began in 1813. These records are filed with the Recorder of Deeds office in Lebanon, 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


 * 1956–present Images are available online using the Landex system. There is a fee to view the images.

Land Records on Microfilm


 * 1813–1932 Deeds, 1813-1850; Index, 1813-1932.

Maps


 * 1805–1824 Patent Book of Land Surveys. The earlier land records for what would become Lebanon County are for the applicable parent counties.

Note that the "Maps" section below also 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 Lebanon 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
Ancestor Tracks has posted free and downloadable images from the County Atlas of Lebanon County Pennsylvania from Recent and Actual Surveys under the Superintendence of F.W. Beers published by F.A. Davis in 1875. This atlas located in the Library of Congress shows major landowners and geographic sites at the date of publishing. While the physical maps are in the public domain, the images we have taken of the maps belong to us and are not to be used commerically. We hereby give permission to use them strictly for personal use; please attirbute to Ancestor Tracks.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Naturalization records available for Lebanon County, Pennsylvania include the following: Online Naturalization Indexes and Records


 * 1901-1930 – Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. Circuit and District Courts for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, 1906-1930; and 1901-1906 on Fold3.com - ($), indexed, National Archives publication M1622, Middle District court was created in 1901, for earlier dates try the Eastern and Western District court records


 * 1901-1930 - Middle District, US Circuit and District Courts: Naturalization petitions, 1906-1930 located in U.S. Naturalization Records - Original Documents, 1795-1972 (World Archives Project) database on Ancestry.com - ($), indexed, National Archives publication M1622, Middle District court was created in 1901, for earlier dates try the Eastern and Western District court records

Newspapers
Newspapers of Lebanon 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 Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.
 * Selected Articles from Lebanon County Newspapers including Lebanon Daily News, 1895; Lebanon Daily Times, 1900; Myerstown Enterprise, 1906-1908. Courtesy 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


 * PA-Roots Obituaries for Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.
 * Lebanon County Obituaries, courtesy USGenWeb Archives

Obituary Excerpts and Abstracts


 * Translated and transcribed by Robert A. Heilman, Deaths Reported by Der Libanon Demokrat, a German Language Newspaper Published at Lebanon, Pennsylvania, 1832-1864 (Bowie, Maryland:Heritage Books, c1990) ;
 * Scrapbook by Schuyler C. Brossman; Lebanon Daily News (Lebanon, Pennsylvania,) Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, War Dead of World War I, World War II, Korea, and Part of the Vietnan War : as Published in the Daily News, Lebanon, Pennsylvania With a Few Related Clippings (SLC, Utah, 1992)
 * Brossman, Schuyler C., Veterans of Western Berks County, Pennsylvania (SLC, Utah, 1963-64,1967-68, 1976, 1988, 1995)

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

Lebanon County Only:


 * 1813-1872 – Lebanon County Probate Records

Original Probate Records on Microfilm


 * 1813-1881 Wills - Index to Estates included: 1813-1935

Courthouse
Lebanon County Courthouse 400 South Eighth Street Lebanon, PA 17042

Clerk of Courts Phone: (717) 228-4419 Fax: (717) 228-4467 Office Hours : Monday through Friday - 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.

Prothonotarys Office Room 104 Telephone: (717) 228-4418 Fax : (717) 228-4467

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Societies
Lebanon County Historical Society 924 Cumberland Street Lebanon, PA 17042 Phone: 717–272-1473 E–mail: [mailto:office@lchsociety.org office@lchsociety.org] Hours: Monday 1:00 PM – 8:00 PM


 * Tuesday CLOSED
 * Wednesday CLOSED
 * Thursday 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
 * Friday 1:00 PM – 8:00 PM
 * Saturday 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
 * Sunday 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM
 * All Holidays CLOSED

The Historical Society's archive holdings include:


 * church histories, records, and cemetery surveys
 * federal census records
 * local newspapers on microfilm, including Pennsylvania German publications
 * historical maps and city business directories
 * county marriage records on microfilm from 1886 through 1949
 * several hundred compiled family histories
 * high school yearbooks

The Historical Society will conduct research for a fee. Questions regarding Research by Mail:


 * E–mail [mailto:office@lchsociety.org office@lchsociety.org]
 * Phone: 717–272-1473

Birth

 * 1726-1930 - - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is an electronic 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.
 * 1852-1854 – Pennsylvania Births Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.

Marriage

 * 1700-1821 - Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties.
 * 1725-1976 - - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is an electronic database of information. The entries are primarily from the International Genealogical Index (IGI) along with some entries derived from compiled and original records such as: Family Records, Church Records, Civil Registration. It may also include indexes generated by the internet indexing project sponsored by the LDS Church.
 * Pre-1810 – Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) 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.

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.

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.