Pennsylvania Archives and Libraries

United States Pennsylvania  Archives and Libraries

These archives, libraries, societies, and museums preserve sources, maintain indexes, and provide services to help genealogists document their ancestors who lived in Pennsylvania.

Wiki Articles on Major Repositories in Pennsylvania
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National Archives
National Archives at Philadelphia 900 Market Street (entrance on Chesnut Street) Philadelphia, PA 19107-4292 Telephone: 215-606-0100 Fax: 215-606-0111 E-mail: [mailto:Philadelphia.archives@nara.gov Philadelphia.archives@nara.gov] Internet: http://www.archives.gov/philadelphia/


 * Has federal agency and court records for Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. All U.S. federal censuses 1790-1940, and indexes. Also have passenger arrivals in Philadelphia 1800-1945 and Baltimore, pension and bounty land warrant applications, naturalizations 1790-1990, early federal history, diplomacy, military history, Chinese-Americans, World War II homefront, National Park Service, merchant marine, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, federal tax evasion and smuggling cases.

American Swedish Historical Museum 1900 Pattison Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19145 Telephone: 215-389-1776 E-mail: [mailto:info@americanswedish.org info@americanswedish.org] Internet: http://www.americanswedish.org/


 * New Sweden colony, and Swedish heritage in the Delaware Valley (northern Delaware, southern New Jersey, and southeast Pennsylvania).

Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society (ERHS) Philip Schaff Library 2nd floor Lancaster Theological Seminary 555 West James Street Lancaster, PA, USA 17603 Telephone: 717-290-8734 E-mail: [mailto:erhs@lancasterseminary.edu erhs@lancasterseminary.edu] Internet: http://www.erhs.info/index.html


 * Reformed Church parish registers, leaders' biographies, and photos. By appointment only.

Franklin and Marshall College Library 450 College Avenue Lancaster, PA 17603 Telephone: 717-291-4216 Internet: http://library.fandm.edu/locations.php


 * "Hessian" (German) soldiers in the American Revolution, history, government, Pennsylvania-German culture, U.S. Civil War.

Haverford College Library Quaker and Special Collections James P. Magill Library 370 Lancaster Avenue Haverford, PA 19041-1392 Telephone: 610-896-1175 Fax: 610-896-1102 E-mail [mailto:hc-special@haverford.edu hc-special@haverford.edu] Internet: http://www.haverford.edu/library/special/collections/quaker/


 * Quaker Collection of diaries, photos, family papers, meeting and organizational records; 35,000 books, 2,400 linear feet of manuscripts.

Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia Brossman Learning Center (in the undercroft) 7301 Germantown Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19119-1794 Telephone 215-248-6383 Fax 215-248-6327 E-mail: [mailto:mtairyarchives@ltsp.edu mtairyarchives@ltsp.edu] Internet: http://ltsp.edu/lutheran-archives-philadelphia


 * ELCA archives for Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Upstate New York (excluding New York City) and New England. Includes clergy and synod papers, and some parish registers (baptisms, marriages, funerals, confirmations) (many written in German).

Presbyterian Historical Society 425 Lombard Street Philadelphia, PA 19147 Telephone: 215-627-1852 Email: [mailto:refdesk@history.pcusa.org refdesk@history.pcusa.org] Internet: http://www.history.pcusa.org/resources/genealogy/


 * National archives of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Includes biographical files, foreign missionary index, congregation vertical file index, congregation histories, and records of American Presbyterian congregations.

Swarthmore College Friends Historical Library 500 College Avenue Swarthmore, PA 19081 Telephone: 610-328-8496 Fax: 610-690-5728 Email: [mailto:friends@swarthmore.edu friends@swarthmore.edu] Internet: http://www.swarthmore.edu/academics/friends-historical-library.xml


 * Documents the history of the Society of Friends (Quakers) from the 17th century to the present; 45,000 books, 60,000 photos, and 9,000 volumes of original Quaker meeting records, plus local history of the Mid-Atlantic states, and social reform movements.

State Archives
Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records 110 North 8th Street, Suite 108 Philadelphia, PA, 19107-2412 Telephone: 215-560-3054 Internet: Birth and Death Certificates


 * Birth and death records 1906-present. Order in-person, order online via VitalChek, or order births by mail, or order deaths by mail.

Pennsylvania State Archives 300 North Street     (mail to:  350 North Street) Harrisburg, PA 17120 Telephone: 717-783-3281 E-mail: [mailto:ra-statearchives@pa.gov ra-statearchives@pa.gov] Internet: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission


 * This huge collection has indexes and original sources associated with the series, such as vital, military, prison, naturalization, land records, census, ships lists, railroads, mines, and 1.5 million online records including online genealogy guides.

State Library of Pennsylvania (also known as the Bureau of State Library) 607 South Drive. Forum Building Harrisburg, PA 17120-0600 Telephone: 717-783-5950 Fax: 717-772-8268 E-mail: Reference Request form Internet: Pennsylvania Genealogy and History


 * Indexes, genealogy surname files, state and county histories, atlases, land records maps, ship lists, church and cemetery records, federal censuses, regimental histories, ethnic and religious group records, newspapers, heraldry, adoption, obituaries, naturalizations, military, railroads and mines, historical Pennsylvania city directories.

Historical Society of Pennsylvania 1300 Locust Street Philadelphia, PA 19107-5699 Telephone: 215-732-6200 Fax: 215-732-2680 E-mail: [mailto:ReadyReference@hsp.org ReadyReference@hsp.org] Internet: http://hsp.org/


 * Has early Quakers, Germans, Scots-Irish, and other settlers in William Penn's colonies of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Records which have been published are normally well-indexed. This society also has 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century manuscripts (letters, diaries, account books, deeds, minutes, and scrapbooks), passenger arrival lists and indexes, local and regional history, ethnic and immigrant studies materials, 600,000 books, 20 million manuscripts, over 300,000 graphics items, and 300 years of newspapers.

Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania 2207 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 Telephone: 215-545-0391 E-mail: [mailto:ExecDir@genpa.org ExecDir@genpa.org] Internet: http://genpa.org/


 * The GSP now maintains a mostly digital collection—the old tangible GSP collection was given to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. GSP online collections (some available to GSP members only) include indexes and transcripts to baptisms, burials, parish registers, research aids, court records, surname files, funeral home records, marriages, miscellaneous collections (to wit: departure lists, conscientious objectors, police blotters, and bath association), newspapers, GSP newsletters, and GSP magazines.

German Society of Pennsylvania 611 Spring Garden Street Philadelphia, PA 19123 Telephone: 215-627-2332 Fax: 215-627-5297 E-mail: [mailto:librarian@germansociety.org librarian@germansociety.org] Internet: http://www.germansociety.org/


 * 60,000 volumes, mostly in German. This is the largest private collection of German books in the United States outside of universities. Their purpose is to document German-American history, culture, and organizations, including biographies and publications.

Regional Archives
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh 4400 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213-4080 Phone: 412-622-3114 Email: [mailto:info@carnegielibrary.org info@carnegielibrary.org] Internet: http://www.carnegielibrary.org/research/genealogy/


 * Large book collection, newspapers, manuscripts, and county histories most of which are indexed. Also family histories, family folders, local histories and genealogies.

Citizens Library 55 South College Street Washington, PA 15301 Telephone: 724-222-2400 Fax: 724-222-2606 E-mail: [mailto:citlib@citlib.org citlib@citlib.org] Internet: http://www.washlibs.org/citizens/


 * The Washington County, Pennsylvania area was an important staging area or gateway for travel into the Ohio River Valley and the West. As such, many records of travelers can be found here, and this library has the best biographical collection of these records.

Erie County Library 160 East Front Street Erie, PA 16507 Telephone: 814-451-6927 E-mail: [mailto:reference@erielibrary.org reference@erielibrary.org] Internet: http://www.erielibrary.org/services/genealogy/


 * This library has the best biographical section for migrants who traveled here via the Erie Canal before moving on to Ohio and farther west. They also have an online obituary index for Erie County, Pennsylvania from 1822 to present, family histories, county histories, computer genealogy databases, and on microfilm Erie newspapers and censuses.

Free Library of Philadelphia 1901 Vine Street Philadelphia, PA 19103-1157 (between 19th and 20th Streets on the Parkway) Telephone: 215-686-5322 E-mail: E-mail a Librarian form Internet: http://libwww.freelibrary.org/branches/branch.cfm?loc=cen


 * Very large book collection, periodicals and indexes, genealogies, city directories, maps, family folders, local newspapers since 1719, naturalizations, vertical files, manuscripts, photos, government publications, and histories for all of Pennsylvania.

Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania Senator John Heinz History Center, Library and Archives 1212 Smallman Street Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Telephone: 412-454-6364 E-mail: [mailto:library@heinzhistorycenter.org library@heinzhistorycenter.org] Internet: http://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/libraryArchives.aspx


 * This large collection is for western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, including the Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society records. 700,000 photos, 40,000 books, 3,500 individual archival collections of families, organizations, businesses, and industries, 600 periodicals, and 500 maps and atlases.

Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Philadelphia Tuttleman Library-Gratz College 7605 Old York Road Elkins Park, PA 19027 Telephone: 215-635-7304 Email: [mailto:library@gratz.edu library@gratz.edu] Internet: http://www.jgsgp.org/Pages/library.html


 * Hebraica and Judaica, Jewish genealogy research manuals, society newsletters, regional cemeteries, and resource guide for south Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.

Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society 2215 Millstream Road Lancaster, PA 17602-1499 Telephone: 717-393-9745 Fax: 717-393-8751 E-mail: [mailto:lmhs@lmhs.org lmhs@lmhs.org] Internet: http://www.lmhs.org/Home/Research/Genealogy/Genealogy_Resources


 * Center for studying the Pennsylvania Mennonites and Amish heritage. They collect historical and genealogical materials of southeast Pennsylvania, focusing most on Lancaster County, including an 800,000 person card index, 3000 genealogies, secular local histories, congregational histories, biographies, directories, passenger lists, atlases and maps, cemetery transcripts, censuses, databases, deeds, obituaries, orphans court records, periodicals, surname files, tax records, and wills.

Library Company of Philadelphia 1314 Locust Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 Telephone: 215-546-3181 Fax: 215-546-5167 E-mail: [mailto:cking@librarycompany.org cking@librarycompany.org ] Internet: http://www.librarycompany.org/


 * This library has a very large German-American collection, and is good for documenting Civil War ancestors from Pennsylvania. Half a million rare books, manuscripts, and graphics documenting American history and culture to 1900 including African Americana, American Judaica, womens' history, and photography in Philadelphia. They also have enough early Philadelphia records to make this virtually a second city archives.

Luzerne County Historical Society Bishop Library 49 South Franklin Street Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701 Telephone: 570-823-6244 Fax: 570-823-9011 Internet: http://luzernehistory.org/?page_id=32


 * This facility is important for research about New England migrants into Pennsylvania and places farther south. They have 13,000 family folders, transcribed wills 1787-1896, personal papers and correspondence, 10,000 photos, county and local histories, church histories, family histories, biographies, Native Americans and ethnic groups, city directories, maps, births 1893-1905, marriages 1885-1950, deaths 1886-1962, newspapers and obituaries, land records 1787-1907, and index to Orphans' Court wills, land sales, and guardians 1787-1866.

Philadelphia City Archives 3101 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 Telephone: 215-685-9401 Internet: http://www.phila.gov/phils/Docs/Inventor/genealgy.htm


 * Births 1860-1915 (a few starting 1829), marriages 1860-1915, divorces 1851-1875, deaths 1803-1915, naturalizations 1793-1930, city directories 1785-1935, county deeds 1683-1952, county mortgages 1736-1963, constables 1854-1925, and some court records. They have indexes to early Philadelphia materials, such as tax records, prisoners, commissioners reports, mayors warrants and appointments, as well as cemeteries, board of health records, and streets.

Temple University Urban Archives Samuel Paley Library Berks and 13th Streets Philadelphia, PA 19122 Telephone: 215-204-5750 E-mail: Ask a Librarian form Internet: http://library.temple.edu/collections/scrc/urban-archives


 * Church records, fraternal groups, ethnic groups, unions, guilds, and people-oriented collection of organizations, clubs, businesses, and societies related to the growth of the Philadelphia area since the 1800s. 4 million images, 7 million news clippings, city directories, Philadelphia atlases, and Sanborn fire insurance maps.

University of Pennsylvania Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center 3420 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104-6206 Telephone: 215-898-7556 E-mail: Ask a Reference Question form Internet: http://www.library.upenn.edu/vanpelt/


 * Very large manuscript collection, newspapers, county records and histories, biographical sources, ethnic resources, church records, and government records. Subject specialties include Africana, Asian Americans, Chinese, French, Germans, history, immigration, Italians, Japanese, Judaic studies, Koreans, Latin Americans, Philadelphia studies, religions, Russians and East Europeans, South Asians, and Spaniards.

For early colonial immigrants in nine southeast Pennsylvania counties see:


 * Adams County Historical Society Library
 * Bucks County Historical Society Library
 * Historical Society of Berks County Library
 * Chester County Historical Society Library
 * Delaware County Historical Society Library
 * Lancaster County Historical Society Library
 * Lebanon County Historical Society Research Archives
 * Historical Society of Montgomery County Library
 * Historical Society of York County Library and Archives

Family History Centers. Some of the collections described above are at least partially available on microfilms at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, and through thousands of its branch Family History Centers. For further information see Introduction to LDS Family History Centers. To locate a center near you, see Find a Family History Center.

Museums Archives
Museums sometime preserve genealogical sources. A is available on Wikipedia.

Outside Pennsylvania
Library of Congress 101 Independence Ave. SE Thomas Jefferson Building, LJ G4 Washington, D.C. 20540-4660 Telephone: Reading Room: 202-707-5537 Fax:  202-707-1957 E-mail:  Ask a Librarian Internet: http://www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy/


 * Use this library for its outstanding genealogical guides and indexes. They are part of the world's largest library including 50,000 genealogies, 100,000 local histories, and collections of manuscripts, microfilms, maps, newspapers, photographs, and published material, strong in North American, British Isles, and German sources. The "Local History and Genealogy Reading Room" has moved to the main reading room, but services are unchanged.

New York Public Library U.S. History, Local History &amp; Genealogy Division Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, Room 315S New York, NY 10018-2788 Telephone: 212-930-0829 E-mail: Ask a librarian Internet: http://www.nypl.org/


 * This is one of the largest research libraries in the world including excellent genealogical resources for Pennsylvania. The library has city and telephone directories, vital records indexes, local histories, genealogies, federal and state censuses, passenger lists, genealogical collections (including DAR transcripts), and church records. For maps, write to the Map Division at the same address.

Handley Regional Library 100 W. Piccadilly Street PO Box 58 Winchester, Virginia 22604 Telephone: 540-662-9041 Fax: 540-722-4769 E-mail: [mailto:archives@handleyregional.org archives@handleyregional.org] Internet: http://www.handleyregional.org/handley/default.asp


 * Very large collection about Germans and Scots-Irish who traveled the Great Valley Road from Pennsylvania to Virginia, including manuscripts, newspapers, biographies, and histories, and people of the Lower Shenandoah Valley since 1732, emphasizing Winchester and Frederick County in 4000 books, county court abstracts, county histories, genealogies, regimental histories, battles, newspapers since 1787, censuses, 600 linear feet of manuscripts, maps, photos, and oral history tapes.

Guides

 * County Records Survey, 1985-1986 [of Pennsylvania]. ([Harrisburg, Pennsylvania]: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Division of Archives and Manuscripts, 1986). . . Philadelphia County is not included, but Pittsburgh city is.
 * Sylvester K. Stevens and Donald H. Kent, eds., County Government and Archives in Pennsylvania (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1947) . . This guide describes the records kept by each county, the information they contain, when most began, and important history of their development.
 * Irwin Richman, Historical Manuscript Depositories in Pennsylvania (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania : Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1965). . It provides a detailed description of the manuscripts in most libraries and archives in Pennsylvania in 1965, but dated.
 * Irene E. Fink, Directory of Libraries and Information Sources in the Philadelphia Area (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : Special Libraries Association. Philadelphia Chapter, 1973). . . For eastern Pennsylvania libraries only.