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Washington County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

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Guide to Washington County, Pennsylvania ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

County Facts
County seat: Washington
Organized: March 28, 1781
Parent County(s): Westmoreland[1]
Neighboring Counties
Beaver • Greene • Allegheny • Westmoreland • Fayette • Hancock (WV) • Marshall (WV) • Ohio (WV) • Brooke (WV)
See County Maps
Courthouse
Washington County, Pennsylvania Courthouse.jpg
Location Map
Washington County PA Map.png

County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

The county was named for the George Washington. The county is located in the southwest area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Washington County Courthouse
1 South Main St.
Washington, PA 15301
Phone: 724-228-6787
Clerk of the Courts: 724-228-6787
Prothonotary: 724-228-6770
Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court: 724-228-6775
Washington County Website

Register of Wills has birth and death records 1893-1906, marriage records from 1885, probate and land records from 1781
Recorder of Deeds has land and military records from 1781
Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts has divorce and court records from 1781 and naturalization records from 1802-1964[3]

Washington County, Pennsylvania Record Dates[edit | edit source]

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[4]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1893 1885 1893 1781 1781 1781 1790
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1906. General compliance by 1915.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

The lands of Westmoreland County were claimed by both Virginia and Pennsylvania. A compromise extending the 1767 Mason-Dixon Line was proposed 31 August 1779, ratified by Pennsylvania 19 November 1779 and by Virginia 23 September 1780, and physically run and marked 23 August 1785.[7]

  • 27 Jan 1750: Part of Cumberland County.
  • 9 March 1771: Became part of Bedford County when it was was erected.
  • 26 January 1773: The future county became part of Westmoreland County.
  • 24 September 1788: Allegheny County set off. [8]
  • 9 February 1796: Greene County set off. [9]
  • 12 March 1800: Beaver County set off. [10]

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.

Populated Places[edit | edit source]

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[11]

Cities
Boroughs
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places
Townships
Historic communities
  • Allen Township
  • Bethlehem Township
  • East Pike Run Township
  • Granville
  • Pike Run
  • Pike Run Township
  • Smallwood
  • South Canonsburg


History Timeline[edit | edit source]

Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

Biographies[edit | edit source]

  • Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens...1893, by J. H. Beers.Volume 1 Transcription from chartiers.com.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries of Washington County, Pennsylvania online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Pennsylvania Cemeteries for more information
  • Cemetery records often reveal birth, marriage, death, relationship, military, and religious information.

Additional Cemetery Resources

Census Records[edit | edit source]

Federal Census

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1790 23,892 —
1800 28,298 18.4%
1810 36,289 28.2%
1820 40,038 10.3%
1830 42,784 6.9%
1840 41,279 −3.5%
1850 44,939 8.9%
1860 46,805 4.2%
1870 48,483 3.6%
1880 55,418 14.3%
1890 71,155 28.4%
1900 92,181 29.5%
1910 143,680 55.9%
1920 188,992 31.5%
1930 204,802 8.4%
1940 210,852 3.0%
1950 209,628 −0.6%
1960 217,271 3.6%
1970 210,876 −2.9%
1980 217,074 2.9%
1990 204,584 −5.8%
2000 202,897 −0.8%
2010 207,820 2.4%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Church Records[edit | edit source]

Court Records[edit | edit source]

For information about records kept in the Orphan's court, Prothonotary Court, Court of Common Pleas, and other courts in counties of Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Court Records Wiki page.

Directories[edit | edit source]

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

For online resources, passenger lists, and specific groups coming to Pennsylvania, see Pennsylvania Emigration and Immigration.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

For groups that came, see People section of the Pennsylvania Emigration page.

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

Genealogies[edit | edit source]

  • Ohio Valley Genealogies : Relating Chiefly to Families in Harrison, Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio and Washington, Westmoreland and Fayette Counties, Pennsylvania. 1900. By Charles Augustus Hanna. New York : [J.J. Little Co.] Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($).
  • Some Pioneers of Washington County, Pa. A family history. 1902. By Francis Smith Reeder. New Brighton, Pa., Press of F. S. Reader & Son. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($).
  • (Walton) Walton, John. "Job Walton of Fleming County, Kentucky," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 52, No. 1 (Mar. 1964):15-24. FS Library Collection 973 B2ng v. 52

Guardianship[edit | edit source]

The Orphan's Court ensures the best interests of those not capable of handling their own affairs: minors, incapacitated persons, decedents' estates, and more.[12]

Orphans Court

Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a specific location and reveal family relationships. Records include: deeds, abstracts, indexes, mortgages, leases, grants, sheriff sales, land patents, maps and more. For more information, see Pennsylvania Land and Property.

Land records in Washington County began in 1781. These records are filed with the Recorder of Deeds in Washington, Pennsylvania. If your ancestor lived in the area which became Washington County, they may have filed land claims with Virginia when the area was know as the District of West Augusta.

Online Land Indexes and Records


Maps

  • MacInnes, Sharon Cook. Early Landowners of Pennsylvania: Atlas of Township Warrantee Maps of Washington County. Apollo, Pennsylvania Closson Press, 2004. FS Catalog book 974.882 R2m

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

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Hancock CountyBrooke CountyOhio CountyMarshall CountyBeaver CountyAllegheny CountyWestmoreland CountyFayette CountyGreene CountyPA WASHINGTON.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Maps

Migration[edit | edit source]

Military Records[edit | edit source]

See more databases at Pennsylvania Military Records and US Military Records.


Revolutionary War
Local men served in the Washington County Militia. A guide at the Pennsylvania State Archives website identifies townships where specific companies recruited soldiers, see Revolutionary War Militia Battalions and Companies, Arranged by County.

Men living in what is now Washington County (then Westmoreland County) also served in the 8th Pennsylvania Regiment.[13]

Civil War

World War I

World War II

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. For more information, see Pennsylvania Naturalization

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

Newspapers may contain obituaries, births, marriages, deaths, anniversaries, family gatherings, family travel, achievements, business notices, engagement information, and probate court proceedings. Newspapers are often found in local or university libraries, historical or genealogical societies, or state archives in the area where the newspaper was published. See Pennsylvania Newspapers for more information.

Newspapers of Washington County

Online Newspapers

To learn if there are newspapers online 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 Abstracts

Miscellaneous Newspaper Items] A part of a Washington County PAGenWeb Genealogy Project

Newspaper Abstracts

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

Obituaries are generally found in local newspapers where the person died or where family members lived. Local libraries or societies may have indexes or other sources.


Online Obituary Abstracts

Obituary Excerpts and Abstracts

Other Records[edit | edit source]

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

Probate matters in Washington 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.

Online Probate Indexes and Records

Incomplete Extract of Washington County Partitions, Estate Divisions, includes name, wife, children with spouses.

School Records[edit | edit source]

  • A century of education; or, The history of the schools of Burgettstown, Washington County, Pennsylvania, for one hundred years, 1898, by William Melvin. Digitized book at archive.org.
1877 Common School Report
Donora High School, 1919
East Bethlehem Senior Annual, 1919
West Bethlehm "Last Will and Testament for 1929"
Pennsylvania Reform School, 1893.

Social Security Records[edit | edit source]

Tax Records[edit | edit source]

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. County marriage records were kept in earnest in 1885. Births and deaths, at the county level, were begun in 1893 and kept through 1905. For the most complete set of records, contact the County Orphans' Court.

Birth[edit | edit source]

Early births 1893–1905 are located at the County Orphans' Court. For more information, see Pennsylvania Vital Records.

Marriage[edit | edit source]

Pennsylvania marriages were created by county officials. Contact Washington County Courthouse

Death[edit | edit source]

Early deaths 1893–1905 are located at the County Orphans' Court. For indexes and records, 1906 and later, see Pennsylvania Vital Records.

Divorce[edit | edit source]

Divorce records are handled by the office of the Prothonotary. While no on-line indexes or records are available, records may be obtained by visiting or writing to the Prothonotary.

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

Listed below are archives in Washington County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Pennsylvania Archives and Libraries.

National Archives at Philadelphia
14700 Townsend Rd
Philadelphia, PA 19154-1096
Phone: 215-305-2044
Fax: 215-305-2052
Email: philadelphia.archives@nara.gov
Website
Facebook

FamilySearch Centers[edit | edit source]

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

  • FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
  • FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries[edit | edit source]

Listed below are libraries in Washington County. For state-wide library facilities, see Pennsylvania Archives and Libraries.

Washington County Library System
55 S College St
Washington, PA
Phone: 724-222-2400
Website
Facebook

This system maintains 14 public libraries in Washington County. Each library has access to genealogical databases, especially newspaper sites. Many are accessible with your library card from home.

Museums[edit | edit source]

Bradford House Museum
175 S Main St
PO Box 537
Washington, PA 15301
Phone: 724-222-3604
Email: info@bradfordhouse.org
Website
Facebook

Organization provides a newsletter about the history of the area.

Washington County Historical Society Museums
49 E Maiden St
Washington, PA 15301
Phone: 724-225-6740
Email: info@wchspa.net
Website
Facebook

The Society offers tours of museums throughout downtown Washington, including the LeMoyne House, which operated on the Underground Railroad.

Societies[edit | edit source]

Listed below are societies in Washington County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Pennsylvania Societies.

Bradford House Historical Association
175 S Main St
PO Box 537
Washington, PA 15301
Phone: 724-222-3604
Email: info@bradfordhouse.org
Website
Facebook

Organization provides a newsletter about the history of the area.

Genealogical Society of Southwestern Pennsylvania
Website

Washington County Historical Society
49 E Maiden St
Washington, PA 15301
Phone: 724-225-6740
Email: info@wchspa.net
Website
Facebook

Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society
4400 Forbes Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-4080
Phone: 412-687-6811
Email: info@wpgs.org
Website
Facebook

Websites[edit | edit source]

Research Guides[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_County,_Pennsylvania 2/12/2017
  3. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists : United States of America, 10th ed., (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002), p. 593.
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  7. ↑ Boyd Crumrine, "The Boundary Controversy between Pennsylvania and Virginia, 1748 -1785," in Annals of the Carnegie Museum, Vol. 1, 1901–1902 ([Pittsburgh] : Published by authority of the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Institute), pp. 510, 521–524.
  8. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  9. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  10. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  11. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Washington County, Pennsylvania," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_County%2C_Pennsylvania, accessed 4 February 2020.
  12. ↑ The Philadelphia Courts at Common Pleas accessed 10 July 2012
  13. ↑ 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). FS Library Book 974.8 M2ff
  14. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/2/20/Igipennsylvaniat.pdf.
v • d• e
Links to Pennsylvania-related articles
Topics
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Major
Repositories
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)
Migration
Routes

This table contains the dates the local or state government began recording in the county or county equivalent. Use substitute records for earlier dates. If you believe there is an error, email us at wikisupport@familysearch.org.

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