Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

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United States GenealogyGotoarrow.png Pennsylvania, United States Genealogy Gotoarrow.png Allegheny County

This article is about a southwestern Pennsylvania county. For other uses, see Allegheny.

Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, Pennsylvania genealogy and family history research page. Guide to genealogy, history, and courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, Revolutionary War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.

Template:PADC


Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Map
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Allegheny County
Location in the state of Pennsylvania, United States Genealogy
Map of the U.S. highlighting Pennsylvania
Location of Pennsylvania in the U.S.
Facts
Founded September 24, 1788
County Seat Pittsburgh
Courthouse
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Courthouse.jpg
Address Allegheny County Courthouse
436 Grant St/
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Allegheny County Website
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Contents

Allegheny County Pennsylvania Historical Facts[edit | edit source]

Beginning dates for major county records
Birth
Marriage
Death
Deeds
Probate
1893
1885
1893
1788
1789
Paallegheny.jpg
  • County Seat: Pittsburgh
  • Neighboring Counties: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Genealogy residents may also have records in:[2]

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

  • Allegheny County was disputed between Virginia and Pennsylvania until the Mason-Dixon Line was finalized in 1780.
  • 1750: Southern half of Allegheny County was included in Cumberland County when Cumberland was created in 1750; northern half of Allegheny County was not included in any county until 1785.
  • 1771: Southern half of Allegheny County was included in Bedford County when Bedford County was created out of Cumberland County in 1771.
  • 1773: Southern half of Allegheny County was included in Westmoreland County when Westmoreland was created out of Bedford county in 1773.
  • 1783: Northern half of Allegheny became part of Depreciation Lands; part of the southern half of Allegheny County became part of Washington County when Washington County was created in 1781, while the rest remained part of Westmoreland County.
  • 1785: Northern half of Allegheny was annexed to Northumberland County.
  • 12 March 1800: Allegheny Co. boundaries were finalized as it appears today after the parts were set to form Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Crawford, Erie, Mercer, Venango and Warren counties. 

For animated maps illustrating Pennsylvania county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Pennsylvania County Boundary Maps" (1673-1878) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Records Loss[edit | edit source]

For a list of record loss in Pennsylvania counties see: Pennsylvania Counties with Burned Courthouses

Allegheny County Pennsylvania Genealogy Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

Biographies[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Cemetery records often reveal birth, marriage, death, relationship, military, and religious information.

Online Grave Transcripts Published Grave Transcripts County Cemetery Directories

Findagrave.com

Family History Library

Findagrave.com

Interment.net

WorldCat

Names in Stone

PA-Roots

Billion Graves

Pennsylvania Genealogy

Epodunk

Pennsylvania Gravestones

Billion Graves

Names in Stone

Access Genealogy

Ancestry($)

Rootsweb

USGW-transcripts
USGW-photos

See Pennsylvania Cemeteries for more information.

Allegheny Cemetery

BillionGraves:

  • Allegheny County Cemetery Records, Vol. 1. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library - free. Includes Sharon Community Church Cemetery, Round Hill Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Bethel Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Montour Cemetery, Fawcett (Brick) Methodist Episcopal Church Old Cemetery, Bethany Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Concord-Carrick Cemetery, Beulah Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Henderson Cemetery, Lutheran Cemetery, Springdale Cemetery, Deer Creek Cemetery, Dugan's Cemetery, and Old Covenanter Church Cemetery.

Census[edit | edit source]

For tips on accessing Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Federal (or United States) census records online, see: Pennsylvania Census.

There are no county or state census records available for Pennsylvania. County and city tax records can be used as a substitute when census records are not available.

Church Records[edit | edit source]

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. In Pennsylvania, church records are often used as a substitute for birth, marriage, and death information. For general information about Pennsylvania denominations, view the Pennsylvania Church Records wiki page.


Finding Church Records at Other Repositories

Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Church Records  in online catalogs like:


County-wide Database - Multi-denominational[edit | edit source]
Allegheny county pennsylvania churches.png
Contains church records of:
  • Bridgeville: Bethany Presbyterian Church
  • Carnegie: Christ United Presbyterian Church
  • Coraopolis: Greystone United Presbyterian Church
  • Duquesne: First Presbyterian Church
  • Gibsonia: Hampton United Presbyterian Church
  • Green Tree: Mount Pisgah United Presbyterian Church
  • Imperial: Valley Presbyterian Church
  • Jefferson: Jefferson Congregation of the American Reformed Church
  • McKeesport: Mount Vernon Community United Presbyterian Church
  • Monroeville: Hillcrest United Presbyterian Church
  • Mount Lebanon: Mt. Lebanon United Presbyterian Church
  • Oakmont: Redeemer Lutheran Church; St. Thomas Memorial Episcopal Church
  • Pitcairn: Dutilh United Methodist Church; McGinnis Presbyterian Church
  • Pittsburgh: Ascension Episcopal Church; Bailey Avenue United Presbyterian Church of Mt. Washington; Church of the Epiphany; Edgewood Presbyterian Church; First Hungarian Reformed Church; Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of South Hills; Grace Episcopal Church; Protestant Episcopal Church; Springdale United Presbyterian Church; St. Luke's Memorial Lutheran Church; St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church; West End United Church of Christ; Zion Lutheran Church
  • Ross: Hiland Presbyterian Church
  • Shaler Township: St. Luke's Lutheran Church
  • Sharpsburg: Church of the Epiphany; First Evangelical Lutheran Church; Trinity Episcopal Church
  • Turtle Creek: First United Presbyterian Church
Catholic[edit | edit source]
Episcopalian[edit | edit source]
Pittsburgholdroundchurch.jpg
  • Page, Oliver Ormsby. "Sketch of the 'Old Round Church,' 1805-1825, the Original Edifice of Trinity Church, Pittsburgh," The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 19 (1895):351-358. For free online access, see WeRelate.
German[edit | edit source]

Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University

Jewish[edit | edit source]
LDS Ward and Branch Records[edit | edit source]
Methodist[edit | edit source]
  • 1888 - Manual and Directory of Smithfield Street M.E. Church for 1888: Containing Full Account of the Centennial Celebration of Pittsburgh Methodism, Held in the Smithfield St. M.E. Church, Sept. 16-23. Pittsburgh, Pa.: East Ender Print, 1888. Digitized by Ancestry ($).
Presbyterian[edit | edit source]

Learn if the records of the individual parish or Church your ancestors attended are available.

Bellefield Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh

Central Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh

First Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh

Presbyterian Church, Sharpsburg

Third Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh

United Presbyterian Church, Allegheny

Court Records[edit | edit source]

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Genealogy court records are housed at the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Courthouse. For many counties copies of court records may be found at the Pennsylvania State Archives and in the FamilySearch collection. Note that within these collections some films may contain the same records, but have different titles. Other titles are not duplicates. See Finding Court Records at other repositories within this section for links to the online catalogs for these two collections. Films at the Pennsylvania State Archives are not available for inter-library loan. If court records are available FamilySearch films may be available at a local Family History Center. Call ahead for availability.


Records of genealogical value in the Allegheny County Offices are listed and described at the Allegheny County website. The webpage describes the availability of the records, the office where they are found, years covered, and links to the proper office or website. Records described include adoptions, census, birth, marriage, death,various court records, deeds, divorce, wills and estate, maps, naturalizations, and military records.

Department of Court Records Wills/Orphans' Court

Court of Common Pleas[edit | edit source]

The Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of Pennsylvania. Major civil and criminal cases are heard in these courts. Judges also decide cases involving adoption, divorce, child custody, abuse, juvenile delinquency, estates, guardianships, charitable organizations and many other matters. The Common Pleas courts are organized into 60 judicial districts. Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Genealogy County has its own judicial district. Judges of the Common Pleas courts are elected to 10-year terms. A president judge and a court administrator serve in each judicial district.[4]

Criminal Division( formerly the Clerk of the Courts)[edit | edit source]

The Clerk of Courts prepares and maintains the records for the Criminal Division of the Court of Common Pleas. The Clerk signs and affixes the Seal of the Courts to all writs and processes, administers oaths and affirmations, and assumes custody of the seal and records of the Courts. The Clerk certifies and distributes orders of the Court. The Clerk also certifies and prepares bills of costs for the defendants and utilizes the computerized financial management system to disburse fines, costs and restitution.[5] For the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Clerk of Courts address see the Courthouse section on this page.


Clerk's Office
U.S. Post Office & Federal Court Bldg.
7th. Avenue Grant Street,
Room 829
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Prothonotary[edit | edit source]

This court is now under the Department of Court Records since it was combined in 2008 with the Clerk of Courts and Register of Wills.

Allegheny County Court Records Director
(In 1908 the office of Prothonotary in Allegheny County was combined into the Court Records Director)

Kate Barkman, Director
Eric Feder, Deputy Director
City-County Building
414 Grant Street – First Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15219-2469
Phone: (412) 350-4200
Email to: civil@alleghenycounty.us

Orphan's Court (see Vital Records )[edit | edit source]

Department of Court Records
Wills/Orphans' Court Division

Kate Barkman, Director
Eric Feder, Deputy Director
City-County Building
414 Grant Street First Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: (412) 350-4180


On January 7, 2008, the Department of Court Records combined the offices of the Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts and Register of Wills. County Executive Onorato appointed Kate Barkman as Court Records Director.
In June, 2006, the microfiche for the following Birth and Death Registers* were transferred from the Allegheny County Offices to the Pennsylvania Department of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh:

Genealogy Department
Pennsylvania Room
4400 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Birth Registers
City of Pittsburgh (1870-1905)
Allegheny City (1885-October, 1907)
Allegheny County (1893-1905)
McKeesport (1892-1905)
Sewickley (1896-1905)
Wilkinsburg (1899-1905)

County Death Registers
City of Pittsburgh (1870-1905); Online Index for City of Pittsburgh Only
Allegheny City (1875-May, 1907)
Allegheny County (1893-1905)
McKeesport (1887-1905)
Sewickley (1894-1905)

*Registers are written entries, not certificates. Birth &  Death Certificates are state-issued and are not available for dates prior to 1906.

After 1906 birth and death certificates are available from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records in New Castle, PA.


Finding Court Records at Other Repositories

Additional court records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Court Records in online catalogs like:


Directories[edit | edit source]

Fold3 ($) has Pittsburgh City Directories 1861-1923 (3 yrs. missing) available online.

"Historic Pittsburgh - Full Text Collection" has Pittsburgh City and Allegheny City Directories (and outlying areas) from 1815 through 1930. Directories were not issued annually until the mid-1850s. Homestead Directories may be found on the same site.

Don's List contains 1761, 1812, 1815-1816, 1826, 1837, 1839, 1841, 1844, 1852, 1854, 1857, 1864-1865, 1867, 1872, 1875, 1877-1879, 1884-1885, 1890, 1895, 1897-1903, 1905, 1907-1908, 1910, 1912, 1914, 1918, 1922, 1930, 1936, 1946, 1951, and 1962 Pittsburgh directories.

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

For information about emigration into Pennsylvania, see the Pennsylvania Emigration and Immigration page.


Ethnic Groups[edit | edit source]

Research Guide to Genealogical and Family History Resources: This guide provides an overview of genealogical and other family history resources available at the Archives Service Center and Hillman Library at the University of Pennsylvania. Beginning on page 16 are resources for the following ethnic groups:

African American[edit | edit source]
Germans[edit | edit source]
Greek[edit | edit source]
Italian[edit | edit source]
Jewish[edit | edit source]
Polish[edit | edit source]

Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

History[edit | edit source]

Published Histories[edit | edit source]

Land and Property[edit | edit source]

Land records in Allegheny County began in 1788. These records are filed with the Department of Real Estate office (formerly the Record of Deeds) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. If your ancestor lived in the area which became Allegheny County, they may have filed land claims with Virginia when the area was know as the District of West Augusta.

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts, indexes, mortgages, leases, grants, sheriff sales, land patents, and maps. Property records include liens as well as livestock brands and estray records.

The following are examples of available resources:

Online Land Records

  • 1733-1957 Pennsylvania State Archives, Records of the Land Office, Warrant Registers, 1733-1957, Allegheny County (South and East of the Ohio River)
  • 1792–1857 Allegheny County Historical Deeds 1792–1857 is a collection of documents recorded in deed books that described people who were involved in the slave trade in the early days of Allegheny County. This collection does not include all deeds recorded between 1792 and 1857.
  • 1986–present Allegheny County offers online access to indexes and images. Fees apply for copies. 

Land Records on Microfilm

Maps

  • Fishman, Joel. The Warrantee Atlas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh [Pennsylvania] : Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, 1982. Originally published by the Pennsylvania State Land Office ca. 1914. FHL Large Folio 974.885 E7wa Digital version of the 1914 edition available at the University of Pittsburgh's "Historic Pittsburgh Maps Collection."

Note that the "Maps" section below includes maps related to land ownership.

Additional Resources

See Pennsylvania Land and Property for more information about using land records, especially about original land warrants, surveys, and patents filed at the state land office.

Additional resources can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Allegheny County Pennsylvania Land in online catalogs such as:

Maps[edit | edit source]

Template:PAalleghenymap

Click the image to see an enlarged version


Migration[edit | edit source]

Military[edit | edit source]

Revolutionary War[edit | edit source]

Men living in what is now Allegheny County (then Westmoreland and Washington counties) served in the 8th Pennsylvania Regiment.[6]

Civil War[edit | edit source]

Regiments. Service men in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Genealogy served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Genealogy:

- 70th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E


  • Hively, Henry. "Black Civil War Soldiers, Allegheny County Pennsylvania," Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 17, No. 1. (Summer 1990):39. FHL Book 974.B2wg

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

Naturalization records can contain information about immigration and nativity. Prior to 1906, it is rare to find the town of origin in naturalization records. See Pennsylvania Naturalization for more information about the types of records and availability.

Naturalizations granted at the county level were kept by the office of the Prothonotary. Naturalizations could also be granted on the Federal Court level.


Where to find Allegheny County naturalization records:

  • 1734-1906 - Common Pleas Court #2
  • 1799-1894 - Common Pleas Court #1
  • 1799-1906 - Quarter Sessions Court
  • 1906-Present - Index only at Clerk's Office, Pittsburgh
  • Before 1906-Present - Federal Archives Records Center Archives Branch, Philadelphia[7]

For addresses of these courts, visit Additional Sources for Research of Naturalization Records.

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

Original Naturalization Records on Microfilm

Finding Naturalization Indexes at Other Repositories

Additional naturalization indexes can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Genealogy naturalization in online catalogs like:

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Genealogy newspapers may contain genealogical value including obituaries, births, marriages, deaths, anniversaries, family gatherings, family travel, achievements, business notices, engagement information, and probate court proceedings.

To access newspapers, contact public libraries, historical/genealogical societies, college or university libraries, or state archives in the area where the newspaper was published.

For information on state-wide newspapers see Pennsylvania Newspapers


Newspapers of Allegheny County

Online Newspapers

The following are some of the online newspapers available in Allegheny County. To learn if there are newspapers on line for a specific town or city in Pennsylvania, see news.google.com/newspapers and search for the town or the name of a newspaper.

Online Newspaper Abstracted Articles

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

Obituaries are generally found in local newspapers where the person died. However, sometimes an obituary is found in the location from which he or she originated. To find an obituary, see the information under the Newspaper heading

Tip
 Sometimes the fastest way of finding obituaries is to call or email the local public library in the area where the person died. If the library does not have newspapers, a librarian often will know where they are kept. If a death date is known, and the newspapers are at the library, someone on staff will usually make a search for a small fee, or will indicate someone who will do the search.

Online Obituary Abstracts

Occupations[edit | edit source]

Indentured Servants[edit | edit source]

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Placenames[edit | edit source]

  • Fort Duquesne and Fort Pitt: Early Names of Pittsburgh Streets. 1914. Digital version at Don's List - free.

Poorhouse, Almshouse[edit | edit source]

Allegheny County Workhouse Records, 1866-1971. The site lists the records, including conduct books, 1870-1906, discharge and descriptive dockets, 1873-1971, escaped prisoners, 1882-1971, prison registers 1869-1951, and more. The records are at the Pennsylvania State Archives.

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

Probate matters in {{{1}}} County are handled by the Orphans' Court and start when the county was created.

In addition to wills and administrations, the Orphans' Court also handles: audits of accounts of executors, administrators, trustees, and guardians; distribution of estates; appointments of guardians; adoptions; appeals from the Register of Wills; inheritance tax appeals, and various petitions and motions.

Additional Probate Indexes and Abstracts

Additional probate indexes or abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Genealogy probate wills in online catalogs like:


Online Probate Records

Many original Allegheny County probate records are available free online as digital images at:

  • 1788-1971 – Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994 at FamilySearch.org - free. Includes Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Estate Index (1788-1971); Will Books 1-141 (1788-1917); Proceedings Index Vols. 1-95 (1788-1971); Power of Attorney Index (1851-1901), Powers of Attorney Vols. 1-39 (1851-1901); Orphans' Court Dockets Vols. 1-154 (1789-1905).

Probate Record Images and Abstracts

Original Probate Records on Microfilms

Department of Court Records Wills/Orphans' Court

Repositories[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]
  • The Pennsylvania Archives collection contains county archive records that can be searched onsite. Currently the Archives' staff cannot provide research or make copies of these records. Their collections include Almshouse Registers; Tax records; Birth, Death and Marriage Indexes and Records; Midwife records; African American records; Wills; Deeds; Naturalizations; Coroner's inquests; and Orphan's Court dockets. A list of the Archive's county holdings are on Microfilm or Manuscript form.


  • Merrick Archives
    Allegheny College
    Pelletier Library
    520 N. Main Street
    Meadville, PA 16335
    Phone: (814) 332-2398 Call in advance for an appointment with the Archivist or to confirm current hours.
    The Merrick Archives has records and biographical information for faculty, staff, and alumni.
Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Allegheny County Courthouse
436 Grant St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: (412) 350-6500
FAX:(412) 350-6512

This Prothonotary is now under the Department of Court Records since it was combined in 2008 with the Clerk of Courts and Register of Wills.

Allegheny County Court Records Director
(In 1908 the office of Prothonotary in Allegheny County was combined into the Court Records Director)
Kate Barkman
Room 115 Courthouse
414 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219-2469 
Phone: 412-350-4200 
Email: civil@alleghenycounty.us
Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Family History Centers[edit | edit source]

Family History Centers (FHCs) are branches of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, and are located all over the world. Their goal is to provide resources for family history research.

The main FHC for Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Genealogy is the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania West Family History Center. For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the FHC directory. Also see below:


Libraries[edit | edit source]
Genealogy Resources
The Carnagie Library has 19 neighborhood locations, including the Main Library and the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.The Library has a sizeable genealogy collection.
Museums[edit | edit source]
  • Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum
    4141 Fifth Avenue
    Pittsburgh, PA 15213
    Telephone: 412.621.4253
    Fax: 412.683.9339
    Email: frontdesk@soldiersandsailorshall.org
    The museum was originally built to honor veterans of the Civil was but was later expanded to honor soldiers of all conflicts. It contains artifact, interperative displays, letters, journals, and more.
Historical Research Inquiries
Library and Archives Reference Desk
Phone: 412-454-6364
Email: library@heinzhistorycenter.org
This library's collection includes 3,500 individual archival collections of families and businesses; over 40,000 books, pamphlets, and monographs, plus 500 maps and atlases.
Societies[edit | edit source]

Rich in history, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Genealogy contains a number of societies dealing with the history of the area. A list of Allegheny County historical and genealogical societies is available on US GenWeb. See also Historical Societies & Commissions at Carnegie Library.  Some of the major societies include:

  • West Jefferson Hills Historical Society
    The WJHHS Genealogy Committee meetings are the first Thursday each month at the Archive Room at the Jefferson Hills Municipal Building, 925 Old Cliarton Road, Jefferson Hills, PA 15025 at 6:30 p.m. The Society collects historical documents, artifacts, photographs and pertinent memorabilia  from the area, and, in addition, is serving as an information source for genealogical research and record keeping.
  • Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society
    4400 Forbes Avenue
    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213-4080
    Library Hours: Monday - Thursday: 10:00am - 8:00pm, Friday - Saturday: 10:00am - 5:30pm, Sunday: 1:00pm - 5:00pm
    Tips for planning a visit
    The focus of the Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society are the 26 counties west of Centre County. The Society is based out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and maintains its library and offices in the Pennsylvania Department of the Carnegie Library. The WPGS Library collection is complemented and augmented by the Pennsylvania Department's enormous holdings of local and family history information. It has extensive onsite resources for both in-library research, and out-of-town queries.
  • Afro-American Historical Genealogical Society, Pittsburgh Chapter
    AAHGS is designed to encourage the research, documentation and preservation of African American families. Beginning genealogy classes are offered as well tips on how to overcome "brick walls" in your research. Monthly meetings and annual conferences are open to the public.
  • North Hills Genealogists
    This group of genealogists is located in the North Hills of Pittsburgh. They publish a monthly newsletter and hold monthly meetings at the Northland Public Library, 300 Cumberland Rd, 15237. They have published several books on pioneer cemeteries in the area.
  • Historical Society of Pennsylvania
    1300 Locust Street
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107
    Telephone: (215) 732-6200
    Fax: (215) 732-2680
    Tips for planning a visit
    The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania collects genealogical materials from Pennsylvania and every other state east of the Mississippi River. Its collections also cover pre-migration from Europe, the genealogical “stepping stones” across the Caribbean, and out-migration to Canada. Its collection includes 600,000 printed items and more than 21 million manuscript and graphic items.

    It is one of the largest family history libraries in the nation, has preeminent printed collections on Pennsylvania and regional history, and offers superb manuscript collections renowned for their strength in 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century history. By acquiring the holdings of The Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies in 2002 and those of The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania in 2006, the Society has become a chief center for the documentation and study of the ethnic communities and immigrant experiences between the late 19th century century and our own times. In

Taxation[edit | edit source]

  • 1791 - Returns of Taxables for the Counties of Bedford (1773 to 1784), Huntingdon (1788), Westmoreland (1783, 1786), Fayette (1785, 1786), Allegheny (1791), Washington (1786) and Census of Bedford (1784) and Westmoreland (1783). (Pennsylvania Archives, Series 3, Vol. 22). Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Google Books - free.
  • 1798 - Pennsylvania, U.S. Direct Tax Lists, 1798 at Ancestry ($).

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

Vital records are handled by the County Orphans' Court. Between the years 1852-1855 Pennsylvania made a failed attempt to record birth, marriage and death events at the county level. While the records for that time period are available, there were few events recorded. County marriage records were kept in earnest in 1885. Births and deaths, at the county level, were begun in 1893 and kept through 1905. Abstracts and copies of vital records are available for some counties, but most are incomplete. For the most complete set of records, always contact the County Orphans' Court.


See also How to order Pennsylvania Vital Records

Birth[edit | edit source]
  • 1726-1930 - Pennsylvania, Births and Christenings, 1709-1950 - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is an electronic index for the years 1726 to 1930. It is not necessarily intended to index any specific set of records. This index is not complete for any particular place or region. This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.

Early births 1893–1905 are located at the County Orphans' Court. See the heading Court Records on this page for contact information.

Indexes for Pennsylvania birth records are available through the Department of of Health for 1906 and 1907. Once an individual is located in the index a non certified Birth certificate can be obtained by writing and sending $3.00 to:

Division of Vital Records
ATTN: Public Records
P.O. Box 1528
New Castle, PA 16103


Marriage[edit | edit source]

Pennsylvania marriages are located at the county level. Contact the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Genealogy clerk's office for these records.

  • 1700-1821 - Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties.
  • Pre-1810 – Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties. Includes 35,000 marriage records from vol. VIII of of the second series of the Pennsylvania Archives.
  • 1786-1925 Marriage notices from newspapers index 1786-1910; Pennsylvania Marriage records,1852-1854; and Allegheny County Marriages index, 1885-1925, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
  • 1852-1854 - Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.
  • 1875-1909 - Pittsburgh Marriage Index 1875-1909 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.[3]
  • 1885-1950 - Pennsylvania County Marriage, 1885-1950 Extracted marriage records – free. This database is incomplete for all counties. May also contain marriage records earlier than 1885.
  • 1888-1911 - Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1709-1940 - free index. Not complete for all years.
  • 1892-1893 - Pittsburgh Marriage Index 1892-1893 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch M746452.[3]
  • 1946 - Allegheny County Marriages and Divorces from the Allegheny River Families Archive
  • Search and order Allegheny County marriage records online or visit in person.

    Department of Court Records
    Wills/Orphans' Court Division
    Marriage License Bureau
    414 Grant Street
    1st Floor, City-County Building
    Pittsburgh PA 15219
Divorce[edit | edit source]

Divorce records are handled by the Department of Court Records Civil/Family Division (formerly the office of the Prothonotary). While no on-line indexes or records are available, records may be obtained on site or by correspondence. An index to divorce records is included in the Ejectment and Miscellaneous Index. Request at the main desk. Older records may be in storage and have to be ordered.

Department of Court Records Civil/Family Division
City-County Building
414 Grant Street, First Floor
Pittsburgh PA 15219-2469
Phone: (412)350-4200
Fax: (412)350-5260
civil@alleghenycounty.us

Death[edit | edit source]

Early deaths 1893–1905 are located at the County Orphans' Court. See the heading Court Records on this page for contact information.

Indexes for Pennsylvania death records are available through the Department of Health for 1906 through 1962. Once an individual is located in the index a non certified death certificate can be obtained obtained by writing and sending $3.00 to:

Division of Vital Records
ATTN: Public Records
P.O. Box 1528
New Castle, PA 16103


Finding Vital Records at Other Repositories

Additional vital records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Vital Records in online catalogs like:


Genealogy Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]

Allegheny County Pennsylvania Genealogy Websites[edit | edit source]

Allegheny County Pennsylvania Places[edit | edit source]

Populated Places[edit | edit source]

Pittsburgh, Forest Hills, Aleppo, Leet, Versailles, Braddock, more...

Allegheny County Pennsylvania Genealogy References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Adams County, Pennsylvania" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adams_County,_Pennsylvania (accessed 17 July 2012).
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/6/6d/Igipennsylvaniaaa.pdf. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "vr" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "vr" defined multiple times with different content
  4. ↑ The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania http://www.pacourts.us/T/CommonPleas/ accessed 10 July 2012.
  5. ↑ Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, Clerk of Courts in http://www.pacourts.us/T/CommonPleas/ClerksOfCourts.htm (accessed 25 Aug 2012)
  6. ↑ Harold Frederic, William C. Frederick III with William J. McMaster Sr., Path of Blood: The Untold Story of the Kittanning PA. Regiment in the American Revolution (Kittanning, Pa.: W.C. Frederick, 1998). FHL Book 974.8 M2ff
  7. ↑ "Naturalization Records," Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Government, http://www.alleghenycounty.us/wo/natural.aspx, accessed 11 September 2012.


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American Swedish Historical Museum · Bristol Public Library (Bristol, VA) · Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh · Citizens Library · Erie County Library · Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society · Franklin and Marshall College Library · Free Library of Philadelphia · Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania · German Society of Pennsylvania · Handley Regional Library (Winchester, VA) · Haverford College Library · Historical Society of Pennsylvania · Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania · Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Philadelphia · Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society · Library Company of Philadelphia · Library of Congress (Washington, DC) · Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia · Luzerne County Historical Society Bishop Library · National Archives at Philadelphia · New York Public Library (New York City, NY) · Pennsylvania Department of Health · Pennsylvania State Archives · Philadelphia City Archives · Presbyterian Historical Society · State Library of Pennsylvania · SUNY Fredonia Reed Library (Fredonia, NY) · Swarthmore College Friends Historical Library · Temple University Urban Archives · University of Pennsylvania Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center · Western Reserve Historical Society (Cleveland, OH)
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