New Jersey Archives and Libraries

United States New Jersey  Archives and Libraries

Many archives and libraries have resources such as maps, gazetteers, and other place-finding aids to help you locate information about New Jersey. They may have collections of previous research, such as family and local histories and biographies. Many have record-finding aids such as guides to their own collections or inventories of records housed elsewhere in the state. The following archives, libraries, and societies have collections or services helpful to genealogical researchers in New Jersey.

New Jersey Division of Archives and Records Management
225 West State Street Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0307 Telephone: 609-292-6260 The Division of Archives and Records Management (State Archives) is the official repository for all colonial and state government records. Its collections include manuscripts and microfilms of pre-1900 county and town records. Many of these records are also on microfilm at the Family History Library. The state archives also has several searchable databases online.

For a useful guide to the collection, refer to:


 * Barker, Bette Marie, Daniel P. Jones, and Karl J. Niederer. Guide to Family History Sources in the New Jersey State Archives. Second Edition. Trenton, New Jersey: Division of Archives and Records Management, 1990.

National Archives—Northeast Region
201 Varick Street 12th Floor (Entrance on Houston Street, between Varick and Hudson) New York, New York 10014 Telephone: Toll-free 866-840-1752 or 212-401-1620 Fax: 212-401-1638

The National Archives—Northeast Region has records created by federal agencies in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The archives has naturalization records, internal revenue service records, customs lists, and records of the U.S. District Court of Appeals. The archives also has microfilms of all available federal census records, many naturalization records, passenger arrival lists, military records, and other historical resources.

The National Archives has announced that in the fall of 2012 the records of this branch will be moved to the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House at One Bowling Green in New York City.

New Jersey State Library
Genealogy and Local History Collection 185 West State Street (mailing address: P.O. Box 520) Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0520 Telephone: 609-278-2640 Fax: 609-278-2647 E-Mail: refdesk@njstatelib.org Hours: 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday

The state library collects published sources, including printed genealogies, maps, church records, local histories, city directories, legislative reports, legal digests, and periodicals. It also has microfilm copies of federal censuses of the eastern states, New Jersey state censuses, and major New Jersey newspapers. The library staff will do limited checking of indexes and directories in response to telephone or written requests. They will make photocopies for a fee.

Special Collections and University Archives
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey 169 College Avenue New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-1163 Telephone: 732-932-7006 Fax: 732-932-7012

Collections include manuscripts, rare books, the University archives, and the collections of the Genealogical Society of New Jersey.

Diaries and journals are inventoried in:


 * Sinclair, Donald A., Compiler. A Guide to Manuscript Diaries and Journals in the Special Collections Department, Rutgers University. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Library, 1980. (Not available at the Family History Library.)

Newark Public Library
5 Washington Street P.O. Box 630 Newark, New Jersey 07101-0630 Telephone: 201-733-7784 or (New Jersey questions) 201-733-7775

The library has newspapers and city directories for Newark and microfilm copies of all existing New Jersey federal and state censuses. This library serves as a New Jersey State Documents Depository as well as a Regional Depository for U.S. Government Publications. The staff will search and copy obituaries and other records for a fee.

New Jersey Historical Society Library
52 Park Place Newark, New Jersey 07102 Telephone: 973-596-8500 Fax: 973-596-6957

The historical society has extensive collections of New Jersey books, pamphlets, manuscripts, maps, card files, vertical files, census microfilms, indexed genealogy manuscript collections, and many other records. Guides to the collections are available on the library website. Fees are charged to visit the library. The library staff will do a limited amount of research for a fee.

The Jewish Historical Society of Central Jersey
222 Livingston Ave. New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901

The archival collection includes organizational documents, historical records, photographs, oral histories, area Jewish newspapers, and other research materials.

Gloucester County Historical Society Library
17 Hunter Street Woodbury, New Jersey 08096-4605 Telephone: 856-845-4771

The library has an extensive collection of census records, vital records, maps, church records, local histories, city directories, genealogical charts, and many other records.

Family History Library
35 North West Temple Street Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 Telephone: 801-240-2584

The Family History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints houses a collection of genealogical records that include names of more than three billion deceased people. It’s the largest collection of its kind in the world. Collections include digitized historical records, microfilms and microfiche, books, maps, and much more. Explore at FamilySearch.org.

Family History Centers (FHCs) are branches of the Family History Library and are located all over the world. Their goal is to provide resources to assist you in the research and study of your genealogy. You may search your address for a center near you on the FamilySearch site. These local centers are staffed by volunteers and have varying hours and resources so call to verify their hours in advance.

Some New Jersey Family History Centers:


 * Cherry Hill Family History Center 252 Evesham Avenue Cherry Hill, New Jersey Telephone: 856-795-8841


 * Toms River Family History Center 1348 Old Freehold Rd. Toms River, New Jersey Telephone: 732-349-5947

Published Resources
The following books provide additional information about New Jersey archives and libraries:


 * Hoelle, Edith. Genealogical Resources in Southern New Jersey. Third Edition. Woodbury, New Jersey: Gloucester County Historical Society, 1989. This book is a guide to libraries and collections in the seven southern counties of New Jersey.
 * Murrin, Mary R., Complier. New Jersey Historical Manuscripts: A Guide to Collections in the State. Trenton, New Jersey: New Jersey Historical Commission, 1987. This book contains addresses and collection descriptions of 263 public libraries, historical societies, archives, and museums.
 * Quigley, Mary Alice, Judith A. Fullerton, and Diane E. Kauffman, Compliers. Historical Organizations in New Jersey: A Directory. Revised Edition.Trenton, New Jersey: New Jersey Historical Commission, 1983. This book contains the addresses to over 450 historical societies, county historians, museums, and lineage societies.

Web Sites
You can find computerized research tips and information about ancestors from New Jersey in a variety of sources at local, state, national, and international levels. The list of sources is growing rapidly. Much of the information is available at little or no cost. Addresses on the Internet are subject to frequent changes. The following sites are important gateways linking you to many more sites:

FamilySearch
At this site you can access digitized historical records, the Family History Library Catalog, lists of Family History Centers, and other resources related to family history.

New Jersey GenWeb
A cooperative effort by many volunteers to list genealogical databases, libraries, bulletin boards, and other resources available on the Internet for New Jersey and each county.

West Jersey History Project
This is an online community sharing and preserving historical information about New Jersey.