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Courthouse

This page lists the various offices in the county courthouse, what records are available for public research, and other information for those visiting the courthouse.

Address: 103 South 2nd Street, Lewisburg, PA 17837-1903

Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Closed on state and federal holidays.

Main Phone: (570) 524-8600

Parking: As the parking lot on the south side of the building is usually filled, on street parking is usually your best bet. Be aware of the posted days and hours for street cleaning however, as you will be ticketed for violations.

Entrance procedure: You may enter the courthouse only by the south entrance, left doorway, off the parking lot. You will walk through a metal detector; any metal objects deemed by the security officer to be dangerous will be confiscated by security and returned upon your exit. At the security officer's discretion, you may also be required to sign in and time your entrance, and then later sign out at your exit, and/or provide identification. Briefcases and tote bags may be searched.

Offices: Of interest to the genealogist are the offices of the prothonotary (clerk of courts), register of wills and recorder of deeds (the two offices are combined in Union County) and veteran's affairs. To reach these offices, from the lobby where you entered, go straight up the stairs to the next floor above, or take the elevator for accessibility. Turn left and then right down the hallway. The prothonotary and then the register and recorder's offices are on the left. Turning left instead of right down the hallway will take you to the restrooms and the Union County Historical Society. There are soda and water vending machines in the hallway niche across from the two offices.

Copies and Fees: Nearly all of the older records have been microfiched. Both the prothonotary and the register and recorder's offices have their own state-of-the-art combination microfiche readers/copiers. Cost of each copy is 25¢; payment on the "honor system" is made to one of the office staff at the counter on your way out of the office. The machines are quite easy to use and make excellent copies from the microfiche.

Office of the Prothonotary

The Prothonotary, also known as the Clerk of Courts, is responsible for all civil and criminal court-related documents. Passports for foreign travel and marriage licenses are among the services offered to the public. Records of interest to the genealogist are:

• Marriage License Dockets: 1885-present. Each volume is indexed by male or female surname.
• Orphans Court Records: 1813-present. Often overlooked goldmine of genealogical information for intestates (those who died without a will), each volume indexed by surname.
• Court of Quarter Sessions: 1813-present. Minutes of courts of Quarter Sessions and Oyer and Terminer, 1813-present. Quarter Sessions Record, 1813-present. These courts handled all types of criminal cases including robbery, murder, and destruction of property, as well as damages paid by fathers of illegitimate children to avoid trial for "fornication and bastardy." Record generally lists court term and case number, name of defendant and plaintiff, names of witnesses, jurors, attorneys, disposition of case and amount of money received. Original papers are available on microfiche; each volume has its own index.
• Road Dockets: 1813-present. Contains petitions for laying out roads, including course in metes and bounds and property owners of adjoining lands, including churches and taverns. Original documents are on microfiche.
• Tavern License Docket: 1813-?. Lists petitions for tavern licenses.
• Birth Records: 1852-1855, 1894-1905. Alphabetical listing by surname, place and date of birth, names of parents.
• Death Records: 1852-1855, 1894-1905. Alphabetical listing by surname, place and date of death, cause of death, and date and place of burial in most cases.
• Militia and Military Records: 1840-Civil War. Lists men enlisted in county militia and draftees, name of soldier and unit served.
• Insane Dockets: 1813-?. Court proceedings for persons deemed to be of diminished mental capacity and/or of meager material means.

Register of Wills & Recorder of Deeds

The register and recorder records all estate and probate transactions as well as property and land agreements. Records of interest to the genealogist are:

• Deeds: 1813-present. These show the grantor, grantee, consideration, dimensions of the tract in metes and bounds. Check the separate grantor indexes and the grantee indexes. The original documents are on microfiche and filed by book and then page number.
• Letters of Administration: 1813-present. These are letters naming executrices for intestates, those without a will. Check the index for Letters of Administration, 1813-1972. The original documents are on microfiche, filed by year and number.
• Wills: 1813-present. These vary greatly in the amount of family information available, but included name and residence of testate, date of will, witnesses, date of probate (and in some cases date of death of testator), and date of records. Originals, including estate inventories, are on microfiche, filed by year and number. Check the Index to Wills 1813-1972.
• Miscellaneous: 1813-present. Documents contain all kinds of information, from powers of attorney to dowry agreements. Originals are filed by book letter and then page number. Check the Miscellaneous Docket index.

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