Washington County 'Little Washington' Pennsylvania
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Washington County Pennsylvania History and Families

Genealogy 101 - Where to Research in Washington County PA!

Washington County PA was created on March 28, 1781 from a part of Westmoreland County. 
The county seat is Washington PA (city).

You live out of State - Where to go when you visit Washington County PA?
By Judith Florian

Let's first talk about PREPARATION before you decide to make a trip.

PREPARATION:

FIRST, be sure to only take COPIES of your printed work on your trip!  DO NOT TAKE YOUR ONLY SET OF RECORDS!  Leave original documents (such as a wedding certificate) AT HOME!  First, in your excitement of new searches, it is SO easy to forget your folder, binder, briefcase etc. on some workspace on some table or workspace in some court house, library, etc!  Second, cars DO get broken into or stolen -- or your luggage, briefcase, carrying case, whatever could be stolen.  So DO NOT TAKE YOUR ONLY COPY OF DATA!  DO NOT TAKE ORIGINALS, unless you are prepared to re-buy all those documents.

SECOND, if you have not done so already, try to do preliminary research from home.  Use online subscription services to look up CENSUS records on each person you are interested in from that county.  Make copies or hand-copies to take with you.  Use RAOGK volunteers online to ask for free look-ups in Will Indexes, or other indexed records.   Plan on 6 months to 1 year to gather what you already have, look for free records online, and to ask for volunteer assistance with obtaining index information or actual records.  Every bit you do from home saves you time at the locations during your trip.  For example, you might want to see the original record, but having the index information will help locate the original faster!  

It's a good idea to subscribe to a List for the area of interest-- this will help you get to know the area, and to ask any questions you have.  You can also ask others on the List for helpful hints, travel routes, places to stay, places to research, etc.

THIRD, BEFORE you even start planning your trip, before making a motel reservation, or even putting your underwear in a suitcase, buy a "Research Notebook."   Take one page PER PERSON you are interested in researching, and LIST YOUR RESEARCH QUESTIONS or needs.  

For example: (fictitious names and dates used in this example):

Mary Pearson born Aug. 23, 1809 died __ 1879 married John Smith ca. 1822  died ca. 1880?
Research questions:
1. What are the churches in Amity, PA where they lived?

2. Is there a church record of their births? deaths? marriage? burials?  When did the county keep these records?

3. Look for Deeds.

4. Look for their Wills, or Accounts.

5. Visit cemetery--if I can narrow down a possible place of burial.

DO a similar questions list for EACH person, or each research problem.

FOURTH, PLAN your trip, and the time you would like to spend at each location.  BUT let's say you want to spend one hour at the Library--- TRIPLE the amount of time you THINK YOU NEED!  You never know what you will find at each location, or how easy / hard it is to retrieve the actual records, so give yourself extra time!

Next, use the Internet to locate current addresses for local places (Court House, Library, Historical Society, etc.)  Try to locate TIMES these places are OPEN (nothing so aggravating as finding out the Historical Society is closed on the same day you planned to visit!).  Next, use MapQuest or other online mapping site to PLAN YOUR TRAVELS.  You can even get directions from Point A to Point B, plus do a multiple-locations trip plan with maps.  PRINT these out.  Divide a folder by each day of your visit, and put your maps/directions into a day-by-day folder.  While you're on the Internet, research places to stay and to eat in EACH town you'll be in each day.  It never hurts to know what is close-by.  When your research takes longer than you thought, you'll know where you can go late in the day to get lodging and food !

NOTE about gas/ lodging / food:  There are several truck stop areas in Washington County PA.  Three that come to mind are:  One at Rt. 519 above Canonsburg PA and near Rt 40East; One near Taylorstown PA Rt 40 West; One off I-70E (going toward New Stanton) at Bentleyville PA exit.  Fast food and sit-down restaurants, plus motel-hotels are typically clustered near these places.  There is also all 3 services off I-70West at the Chestnut St. Exit (East Chestnut St off the exit) close to Washington Mall.  There was Stone Crab Inn also past the Mall which offers better-dressed dining--I think it's still open.

FIFTH, your luggage is packed, your research notebook and paper copies are ready, and you're on your way!  Most air travelers come through the Pittsburgh Airport, rent a car, and take Rt 60 West to I-79 South... to I-70 East (for uptown) or I-70 West (for Jefferson Ave-- no research places though).  You can get off at the Beau St. Exit off I-70 East turn LEFT and get to uptown locations.  Inter-state drivers would use the same routes.  I-79 and I-70 like other State Routes are often lined with orange barrels in PA soooo... plan extra driving time.   Rush hour traffic on I-79 from Bridgeville and north is typically 6AM to 8AM and 4PM to 7PM -- worst time is between 5PM and 6PM EST.  Washington City is also bursting with traffic nowadays so ... use normal "right of way" driving policies at 4-way stop signs, etc.  If you are not used to driving HILLS, use second gear on steep downhills or uphills (example: Chestnut St from cross-street of Fayette St at the top of the hill, to Chestnut St.----or vice-versa---or on country roads.  NOTE: an elbow arrow road sign MEANS a SHARP curve! DO slow down to 15-25 MPH!  "S" Curves are sharper in SW PA than in other States-- 25-35MPH or less.  HINT: If you see another car in front of you, watch the location where they use their brakes before a curve---and use your brakes at about the same point in the road.  If in doubt, SLOW DOWN.  Better to have your trip be safe than to end up in a skid, or into a guard rail.   WINTER WONDERLAND:: Please understand that driving in winter in SW PA and on Washington County country roads is unlike winter in other States/regions.  Country roads may only see a road plow once a day--if at all.  ICE often forms UNDER a soft layer of snow, so most roads in town and outside of town CAN be slippery!

SHOES - pack good walking shoes that are already broken in and will not cause blisters!  Parking is difficult in the "uptown" area and you WILL need to walk between some locations.  In light of this fact, also, you might want to create separate folders for persons you are researching, so you don't have to lug a box, crate, or case up and down the hills.  Trust me-- wear shoes that feel good to your feet and take a change of socks for summer (if your feet get sweaty, you can at least put on dry socks).

SIXTH, yes, yes, I know---you want to know the "important stuff" like the WHO, WHAT, WHERE to research.  So now, let's hit some of these locations.

CITIZENS LIBRARY 
55 South College Street
Washington, PA 15301
Phone: 724 222-2400 
Fax: 724 225-7303 
Email: citlib@citlib.org

Hours: M-F 9:30 -9, Sat 9:30 -5, Sun 2-5(closed Sundays, Memorial Day-Labor Day)

Citizens Library has...

... a locked "genealogy room" called The Special Reference Room with family histories, county histories, and other resources.  Ask for entry.

.... microfilmed newspapers back to very 1808 to present.  KNOW the dates you want before you go, because you will be limited to 1 hour with the microfilm reader (if the library is busy).

You MAY want to write to the Library before your trip to request simple questions, ask for specific look-ups, or specific copies of particular pages of history.  The library charges a a small fee per name.  They will search newspaper microfilm IF you have a specific date or a short time frame (such as one month).  Remember that many websites have County Histories, maps, etc., so check all the Washington County PA websites before making requests.   The sites are listed at the bottom of this page.

If writing to any location, always include a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE).

WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
49 East Maiden Street
Washington, PA 15301 
Phone 724-225-6740 
FAX 724-225-8495
http://www.wchspa.org/ 
Located in the historic LeMoyne House in Washington, Pennsylvania, once owned by Dr. LeMoyne, prominent physician of Washington County, PA.
CALL ahead for times and days of operation.

Parking is difficult on East Maiden St., which is a 2-lane street with parking on both sides.  Bring plenty of quarters to "feed" the meters.  The County's Meter Maid (meter checker) walks the uptown route constantly during the workday.  Citizen's Library is several blocks up and allows 2-hour meters, but their lot is also frequently checked for expired meters.  Best bet is to park in a parking garage (Chestnut St between Chestnut and Beau Sts... or behind the Court House) and walk down to East Maiden.

They conduct tours of the House and of the area.  See http://www.wchspa.org/tours.html

The LeMoyne House and The David Bradford House (nearby on South Main St.) offer tours in "period clothing."  Genealogy, maps, and county histories are at the LeMoyne House (The David Bradford House does not maintain research materials, but still a nice short tour to pass time and support the House with your admission fee.)

A. D. WHITE CENTER FOR REGIONAL AND FAMILY HISTORY
130 Center Avenue
Burgettstown, PA 15021-1204
(724) 947-0925
E-mail: kth3@forcomm.net
Hours: Call or email for appointment 
Call ahead for specific hours.  You can reserve computer time also.  

GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
P.O. Box 894
Washington, PA 15301
E-mail: gsswpa@cobweb.net
This non-profit, educational organization publishes the Keyhole Magazine for a small yearly subscription.  They preserve genealogical records for Southwestern Pennsylvania, meet at Citizens Library (check their schedule) where they maintain a genealogical collection.

WASHINGTON COUNTY [PA] FAMILY HISTORY CENTER
525 Fairway Drive
Washington, PA 
Phone: (724) 222-9474
Hours: Tuesday 10-3 and Thursday 12-3
Call ahead for specific hours.  You can reserve computer time also.  

WASHINGTON COUNTY COURT HOUSE
100 W. Beau St.
Washington, PA 15301-4402
Phone: (724) 228-6700
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Address written requests to the appropriate office (see below).   Just put the specific office, then Washington County Court House, and the same address as above. 
Call before writing to request records to check for current policies and fees 

The court house has...

.... first, they've changed over the last 20 years.  Many records are being stored "OFF-SITE."  Requests must be submitted to the specific office for specific records-- retrieval times are 10AM or 2PM.  Therefore, you may want to research on DAY ONE and make your requests for document retrieval to be delivered back to the Court House at 10 AM on DAY TWO.  Or, if you know what you need, make the request for the same day's retrieval -- just make your requests early so you'll get them at 2PM.

....at each office, ask an employee for a 3-minute Quick Overview of what records they have and how to use indexes, etc.

WHAT IS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE WASHINGTON COUNTY COURTHOUSE?

BIRTH - DEATH (Clerk of the Orphan's Court Office for old birth/marriage/death marriages.)

Birth and death records from 1893-1905 are available from the County Clerk. at the Washington County courthouse. You may also check for copies of these records at the local Family History Center.

Birth records from January 1, 1906 to the present -- must contact the Pennsylvania Vital Records office in New Castle, PA.  Fees are low.  They will research by decade for additional fees.  You may print forms or request forms from their website.  You can also get a stamped letter from their office as verification that a "Delayed Birth Certificate" or or that other proof of a birth is on file without an actual birth certificate. NOTE: Most Vital Records offices now require your picture ID with each request.

These records usually contain the name of the person, date of event, location of event, age (for death records), and parents' names (often including mother's maiden name).  Death records usually contain name of informant (family, physician, or funeral home), the physician who cared for the deceased in their last illness, the location (whether home, hospital, or institution), cause of death, and name of funeral home.

Birth and death records are spotty for information - some years are better than others.

MARRIAGE RECORDS (Clerk of the Orphan's Court Office for old birth/marriage/death marriages.)

Marriage records start from October 1, 1885, available at the Washington County courthouse.

Besides the names of the bride and groom, marriage license applications list the couple's ages and the names of their parents. Sometimes, these records contain additional information.  Ask about the "returned license" to see that the couple actually married. 

You may also check for copies of these records at the local Family History Center.

LAND - DEEDS - MORTGAGES (Recorder of Deeds Office)

Pennsylvania Records start in 1682.  However, for SW PA few records exist before 1781. Check at the Recorder of Deeds Office at the Washington County Court House for 1781 to present for Deeds and Mortgages.  You should learn the alphabet system used on both the Grantor AND Grantee Index. Be aware that some Deeds were not filed and recorded for years -- to decades -- after the physical property transferred hands, especially when there was a death and the land was absorbed into lands owned by relatives.  Check ALL variant spellings of surnames.

You can check the Land Office of the Pennsylvania State Archives for early documents, warrantee maps, surveys, land grants, and patents. 

If you get stuck in finding your ancestor's deeds, try reading the Deeds of the ancestor's neighbors (sometimes there are family relationships or clues as to where your ancestor's land ended up).  Look at the last known deed for your ancestor to find neighbors' names.

WILLS, PROBATE (ESTATE), AND ADMINISTRATOR ACCOUNTS (Register of Wills  
      Office) 

It is good to consult an index if possible before your trip- with Will Book Number, Page Number, Date and Name of Deceased, you might be able to obtain a good copy from the Court House via Postal Mail for a fee.  For indexes, try the Southwestern Pennsylvania Genealogical Society which has published three volumes of indexes to early Wills.  RAOGK volunteers may own these volumes; just ask around on Message Boards or Mailing Lists online!

Wills and Estate (probate) records start from 1781 and are housed in the Register of Wills Office. Wills can be short or long, may contain in-depth family relationships, or may contain very little information.  Most Wills include date the person wrote the Will, and date it was Recorded at the Recorder of Wills in the Court House.  Estate records sometimes include date of death or dates of "last illness", family members (sometimes including children's spouses), and complete descriptions of personal property (examples: 1 bedstead, 2 quilts, 1 Bible, lot of books) and often the real estate property.

If you cannot locate a Will (the person died intestate -- without a Will), then check for other estate records called Administrator Accounts. You do not need to know in advance who acted as Administrator; you only need the deceased's name.  Some of these records might also be  available at the Citizens Library and the local Family History Center, BUT always seek the original documents (full packet) at the Court House. 

TAX LISTS (the Law Library)

Tax lists cover 1785-1859 and are now on microfilm at The Law Library at the Washington County Courthouse, basement level.  Copies are also in the Pennsylvania Room of the Carnegie Library, at local Family History Centers, and possibly at Citizens Library.

PROTHONOTARY (Prothonotary Office)

Think your ancestor had a squeaky clean record?  Possibly.  However, if the person was ever sued or had a court case, you'll find those records here!  

Did your law-abiding ancestor decide someone else's fate or determine "who was right - who was wrong?"  Jury Lists can be found in the Prothonotary Office, too!

Wife batterers, Assault, Disputes and more....

Naturalizations?  Oaths from 1802 onward *should* be in this office.  But, the Oath could have been made at the Local, State, or Federal level.  You must determine the correct State as well.   Family History Centers have microfilmed records.  PA Supreme Court Naturalizations from 1793 to 1868 can be found at The Pennsylvania State Archives.  For Oaths after October 1906, check the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization. 

And, no Oaths were/are required for natural born citizens.  Even the lack of Naturalization for one individual can point you to look backward for the immigrant ancestor and his Oath.

TAX OFFICE - (in the 

The Tax Office has aerial maps (which you can browse or buy copies).  These are oversized maps showing an area, such as a township.  These maps are useful especially if you know the location of an ancestor's land.  A special point to remember in Washington County is that, very often, the boundary lines of properties are clearly seen 100 or 200 years after the original Land Patent.  Look for white or black "borders" indicating a fence line or plow line-- the same land was farmed over and over in the same areas.  Even when farmers rotated land usage (i.e. did not farm a section for a period of time), often the land plot in country areas is very distinguishable and the boundary lines clearly seen.  In some instances, a deed will mention "to a boulder" or "to a tree" or to water, and those landmarks can still be seen.  (This tip won't hold true if your land has been bulldozed for development complexes or industry.)

Compare the Aerial Maps to Plat or Farm Directory Maps at the Law Library, at Citizens Library, or online.

The County Courthouses in Pennsylvania hold the ORIGINAL records.  

But, some records are also on Microfilm at The PA State Archives; however, the Archives does not do research.  You may go in person, or hire a researcher.  Note: "Rolls" below refers to microfilm rolls at the State level.

Here is a Quick Cheat Sheet of Records and which offices hold the original records at the County level.  Print a no-frills list of these records--use "File >Print" on your browser.

Board of County Commissioners

Cemetery Maps of Soldiers' Graves Registration of the Veterans Affairs Office, undated. 1 roll. 
Milita Rolls, 1846, 1852-1855, undated. 1 roll. 
Records of the Directors of the Poor, County Home, and County Children's Home, 1842-1993. 6 rolls. 
Tax Records, 1785-1859. 101 rolls. 
Veterans Grave Registration Record of the Office of Veterans Affairs, 1932-1982. 2 rolls. 


Clerk of Courts

Miscellaneous Court Papers, [ca. 1784-1829]. 5 rolls. 


Prothonotary

Naturalization Index, 1802-1944. 6 rolls. 
Naturalization Files, 1802-1906 (bulk 1841-1906). 16 rolls. 
Election Return Dockets, 1856-1920. 7 rolls. 
Township Election Return Dockets, 1867-1912. 2 rolls 


Recorder of Deeds 

Deeds, 1781-1866. 57 rolls. 
Index to Deeds, Grantees, 1781-1924. 15 rolls. 
Index to Deeds, Grantors, 1781-1924. 15 rolls. 
Inventories of Estates, Yohogania County, Virginia, 1776-1781. 
Deeds, 1786-1791. 
Negro Register, 1782-1851 (bulk 1782-1820). 
Mortgages, 1841-1854. 1 roll. 
Index to Mortgages, 1781-1925. 5 rolls. 
Mortgage Books, 1924-1944. 25 rolls. 


Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court 

Delayed Birth Records, 1941-1970 (Births, 1869-1906). 
Birth Records, 1893-1906. 
Index to Birth Records, 1852-1853. 
Death Records, 1893-1906. 
Marriage License Dockets, 1885-1916. 
Index to Marriage License Dockets, 1885-1940. 
Marriage License Dockets, 1885-1932. 103 rolls 
Orphans' Court Dockets, 1781-1868. 5 rolls. 
Index to Orphans' Court Dockets, 1781-1952. 3 rolls. 
Wills, 1781-1915. 15 rolls. 
Index to Wills, 1808-1939. 2 rolls. 
Probate Files, 1781-1850. 55 rolls. 
Probate File Indexes, 1781-1924. 

Print out a No-Frills Page of the local resources.  Use "File>Print" on your browser.

Click here for an article about How to Do a Title Search of Deeds from the Court House.

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