The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania

The Experience

In the heart of Center City, volunteers of The Genealogical Society delve into the past. There, tax records reveal names, dates, and other facts that document ancestors, communities and keep their histories alive.

In addition to tax records, this research society provides an array of other resources: microfilm and electronic church records; bibles; funeral home and cemetery records, family papers and letters. The society holdings also include city and county directories – records which deal primarily with Pennsylvania-related genealogical information – which simply aren’t available anywhere else.

History

Since 1892, the Society has been expanding its collections and serving researchers in person, through the mail, and more recently, by email: execdir@genpa.org. Few genealogical societies in the United States have been serving genealogical needs as long, and only a scant few collect and preserve vital and personal records from unpublished sources. The society is run largely by volunteers.

Other Information

Open Mon – Wed, Sat by appointment only.

Insider Tip

Volunteers are now culling the Public Ledger, a Philadelphia daily newspaper published from 1834-1870, for important genealogical data. The results of this research will become accessible at the Society and distributed related research institutions.