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There are several good sources for genealogy research in York County Pennsylvania, if you don't mind doing the legwork of hands-on research. The bulk of the information is located around the City of York itself. This article will discuss the physical locations for research, not on-line resources. As in most Pennsylvania counties there is not an overwhelming amount of material in any one place, nor at the county or local libraries. To find more material, once the following resources have been exhausted, research can be done at the Pennsylvania State Library and Pennsylvania Archives, located in Harrisburg , not far from York .
Here are the York County resources and what they contain. The listed Market Street and George Street resources are not far apart, and within walking distance of each other. The first four sources are the most valuable to genealogists who are researching York records.
York County Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court, York County Judicial Center, 45 North George Street, York, PA 17401; 717-771-9607 . Hours are 8:00AM to 4:30 PM , Monday-Friday.
They have Probate and Marriage records from 1749.
York County Prothonotary / Clerk of Court of Common Pleas, York County Judicial Center, 45 North George Street, York, PA 17401; 717-771-9611 . Hours are 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM , Monday-Friday.
They have Court Records from 1749, including unpaid debt complaints, malpractice actions, mortgage foreclosures, personal injury cases, equity actions, district justice civil judgment appeals, license suspension appeals, administrative agency appeals, condemnation proceedings, family court matters such as divorce, child custody and protection from abuse cases and Liens against real estate and personal property.
York County Recorder of Deeds, Administrative Center, 28 East Market St. , York , PA 17401-1590 ; 717-771-9644. Hours are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM , Monday-Friday.
They have Land Records from 1749 and some other records, including Deeds, mortgages, releases, easements (rights-of-way), subdivisions, restrictions, Notary Bonds and Commissions, Military Service Discharges, public and elected county officers.
York County Heritage Trust / York County Historical Society, 250 East Market St. , York , PA 17401 ; 717-848-1587. Hours are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM , Tuesday-Saturday. These two organizations have combined. They have over 7500 Surname Files, containing clippings of weddings, obituaries and engagements, short genealogies, family group and pedigree sheets and copies of documents and photos. Each Surname File has five index cards which include abstracts from church records, cemetery records, Will books, pre-1800 tax records, and some other sources. The have a large library of published family books, published indexes, local and church histories and back issues of genealogy publications.
York County Archives , 105 Pleasant Acres Road , York , PA 17402 ; 717-840-7224 . Hours are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM , Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
They have some duplicate information available also at the above locations. They have Estate Files, Marriage Records, Naturalization Records, Tax Records, Birth Records, Bond Books, Clerk of Court Dockets, Death Records and many more records.
York County Library System. There are many local libraries in York County but most have very little genealogy information. Some may have local history information or newspapers on microfilm. Several have uncataloged items, so call ahead to found out. Two of the better libraries to check out are:
Martin Library, 159 East Market Street , York , PA 17401 ; 717-846-5300 . Hours vary, call ahead.
Guthrie Memorial Library, 2 Library Place , Hanover , PA 17331 ; 717-632-5183. Hours vary, call ahead. They have a Pennsylvanian Reading Room, for genealogy, with Hanover and York newspapers 1815-present, on microfilm, as well as area tax lists 1818-1849, Sanborn insurance maps 1886-1949, York County Will Index 1749-1940, and York County Census records from 1790-1930, including 1890.
LDS Family History Center , 2100 Hollywood Drive , York , PA ; 717-846-4539 .
Hours are M, W, Th 9AM-1PM, T, W 7PM to 9PM, Th 5:30PM-8PM, Sat 9AM-3PM.
Closed Tuesday morning at this time. Not a lot there yet, but growing. It's worth checking out if you are near. They have access to all LDS software, family files, reference books, old documents on microfilm, etc.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
