The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania
1300 Locust St., 2^nd Fl., Philadelphia, PA 19107-5699. (215) 545-0391.

Major Genealogical Resources
(research collections have been transferred to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania):

• Review books (many published genealogies) and accessions received by the GSP since 1994.
• Published and manuscript family histories.
• Hereditary and patriotic society information and lineage papers.
• Pennsylvania church, cemetery, and undertaker records.   Over 800 microfilm reels.
• Land records for various Pennsylvania counties.
• Griffith's Valuation householders index. Irish tax records.
• Marriage and death indexes to many Philadelphia newspapers.
• Bible records.
• Philadelphia Orphan's Court Records, 1719-1851 and 1854-1856. Microfilm of originals.
• The published Pennsylvania Archives.
• Germans to America, vols. 1-56.
• Bates' History of Pennsylvania Volunteers.  Civil war personnel from Pennsylvania.
• Numerous CD-ROMs and the computers to view them.
• Special collections such as the Richardson, Engle, Minter, Kephart, Rubincam, Stout, Dunkerly, Hocker, Gerberich, and Ely Collections.

Historical Society of Pennsylvania
1300 Locust St., Philadelphia, PA 19107. (215) 732-6200. Current day fee: $6 (Students $3).

Major Genealogical Resources in the HSP library:

This library houses HSP's collection and, according to the Strategic Alliance with GSP, much of the GSP Genealogical Collection (compiled mainly by GSP volunteers), as well as the library of the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies. Nine card catalogs, several databases and numerous finding aids serve as guides to their holdings, including: published books, pamphlets and serials, manuscript and graphic collections, and microfilm. See their online catalog. Collectively, this collection is the outstanding historical and genealogical collection in the Philadelphia area. The following list only hints at the scope of this extraordinary collection.

• Published genealogies.
• Genealogical periodicals and the indexes to them.
• Major genealogical indexes.
• Church records.
• Bible records.
• Cemetery records.
• Newspapers and the indexes to many of them.
• Local histories.
• Manuscripts.
• Censuses.
• City directories.
• Wills and administrations.
• Deeds.
• Tax records.
• Military reference section.
• Published immigration, naturalization, and passenger lists.
• Servitude and slavery records.
• Hereditary society publications.

• Philadelphia birth records, 1 Jul 1860 - 30 Jun 1915.
• Philadelphia cemetery returns, 1803 - 30 Jun 1860.
• Philadelphia death records, 1 Jul 1860 - 30 Jun 1915.
• Philadelphia marriage records, 1 Jul 1860 - 30 Dec 1885.
• Naturalization records for the following courts: Common Pleas, Philadelphia County District Court, Quarter Sessions Court, Mayor's Court, Recorder's Court of the Northern Liberties and Kensington, Criminal Sessions Court, and General Sessions Court.
• Deeds, 1683 - 1952.
• City Directories, 1785-1930, 1935.
• Common Pleas Court divorce dockets, 1850 - 1874.
• Tax assessment registers ca. 1769 - ca. 1820, varies by area.

Free Library information on Philadelphia City Archives.


Philadelphia Register of Wills
City Hall, Room 185, Broad and Market Sts., Philadelphia, PA 19107. (215) 686-6261.

Major Genealogical Resources:

• Indexes to Wills and Administrations, 1682– present.
• Microfilm or microfiche of actual wills (limited readers). Original probate packets, both wills and administrations, are located at Philadelphia Will Archives, 3101 Market Street.  See Philadelphia City Archives, immediately above.
• Wills prior to 1901 and the indexes to them are also on microfilm at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia Orphan's Court
City Hall, Room 415, Broad and Market Sts., Philadelphia, PA 19107. (215) 686-2234.

Major Genealogical Resources:

• Marriage records from 1 October 1885 to the present are at the Marriage License Bureau. For transcripts of marriage records from 1 July 1860 to December 1885, contact the Philadelphia City Archives.
• Court records concerning disputes about probate actions.
• Indexes to Orphans' Court records from 1878 to present are also available.

Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas
City Hall, Broad and Market Sts., Philadelphia, PA 19107. (215) 686-6652.

Major Genealogical Resources:

• Divorce information from 1875 to the present. Generally, the only information available is names of parties, dates, and final disposition of the case. Actual divorce records are only available to the parties of the divorce and their attorneys of record.
• For divorce dockets prior to 1875, make inquiries at the Philadelphia City Archives.

Other Philadelphia record offices
City Hall, Broad and Market Sts., Philadelphia, PA 19107.

Department of Records, Room 111, (215) 686-2260:

• Deeds after 1951. For copies of deeds prior to 1951, contact the Philadelphia City Archives.
• Deed transfer sheets. Good for following the chain of title for a particular Philadelphia address from the mid-1950s back to the 1870s.

Recorder of Deeds, Room 154, (215) 686-1776:

• Holds deeds after 1952 on microform that must be paged.

Prothonotary, Room 266, (215) 686-6663:

• Listing of divorces: 1800–1973 on microfilm; 1973–present on computer.

Note: Off-site storage of some records; retrieval time required.

Reading Room -- Room 154
The Pennsylvania State Archives
350 North Street, Box 1026, Harrisburg, PA 17108. (717) 787-2701

Major Genealogical Resources:

• Passenger lists.
• Naturalization records.
• Birth, marriage, and death information.
• Military and war records.
• Occupational records.
• Prison records.
• Land records.
• Church records.
• Cemetery records.
• County records.
• Census records.
• Family papers.
• Miscellaneous records.

Pennsylvania Department of Vital Records
State Department of Health, Central Building, 101 South Mercer St., P.O. Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103. (412) 656-3100. Downloadable request forms

Major Genealogical Resources:

• This office has birth and death records for all Pennsylvania counties since January 1906. The address is listed below.
• For birth and death records prior to 1906, contact the Orphans Court at the County Court House in the county where the event occurred
• If the event occurred in Pittsburgh from 1870 to 1905 or in Allegheny City from 1882 to 1905, write to the Office of Biostatistics, Pittsburgh Health Department, City-County Building Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Religious Archives in the Philadelphia Area

• CATHOLIC: Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Archives and Historical Collections, 1000 E. Wynnewood Rd., Overbrook, PA, 19096-3001. (610) 667-2125 or http://www.rc.net/philadelphia/pahrc/
• JEWISH:
  • Philadelphia Jewish Archives Center (PJAC), 128 N. 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 (215) 925-9080.
  • Jewish Genealogical Society of Philadelphia, c/o 1279 June Rd., Huntington Valley, PA 19006-8405 (215) 947-7374 or http://www.jewishgen.org/jgsp/
• BAPTIST: Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, City Line and Lancaster Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19096 (610) 896-5000.
• EPISCOPAL: Episcopal Church - Diocese of Pennsylvania Headquarters, 240 S. 4th St., Philadelphia, PA 19106 (215) 627-6434.
• LUTHERAN: Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia, 7301 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19119 (215) 248-4616
• FRIENDS:
  • Haverford College Library, Quaker and Special Collections, Haverford College, Haverford, PA 19041-1392 (610) 896-1161
  • Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College, 500 College Ave., Swarthmore, PA 19081-1399 (610) 328-8496
• METHODIST: Historic St. George's United Methodist Church, 235 N. 4th St., Philadelphia, PA 19106 (215) 925-7788
• PRESBYTERIAN: Presbyterian Church (USA), Department of History, 425 Lombard St, Philadelphia, PA 19147 (215) 627-1852