Pennsylvania Church Records: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:58, 18 September 2008

Pennsylvania was founded as a place of refuge and religious freedom for many diverse groups from Great Britain and Europe. Important religious groups in colonial Pennsylvania were the Society of Friends (Quakers), the German Lutheran, German Reformed, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Baptist, and Catholic churches, and the German Pietist groups, including the Brethren (Dunkard), Mennonites, and Moravians. Before 1900 the major religious groups in Pennsylvania were the Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Reformed, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic churches.

A detailed Historical Records Survey inventory of church records available at the State Library of Pennsylvania is Inventory of Church Archives in Pennsylvania, Historical Records Survey (on 72 Family History Library films beginning with 1014729). It lists many Pennsylvania churches existing in the 1930s. It is arranged by county and can help you identify the church your ancestors attended.

The Family History Library has extensive collections of church records for the Lutheran, Presbyterian, Reformed (United Church of Christ), and Society of Friends denominations. Many transcripts of local church records have been published.

The Family History Library also has histories of the Church of the Brethren, the Society of Friends, and the Baptist, Schwenkfelder, Evangelical Lutheran, Reformed, Presbyterian, Moravian, and Catholic churches in Pennsylvania.

Two of the largest groups were the German Lutheran and Reformed churches. For excellent information on the various congregations and their histories and records, see Charles H. Glatfelter, Pastors and Peoples, 2 vols. (Breingsville, PA: Pennsylvania German Society, 1980 and 1981 as vols. 13 and 15 of The Publications of the Pennsylvania German Society; Family History Library books 974.8 B4pgp vol. 13, 15).

Missions[edit | edit source]

Moravian Missions to the Delaware Indians

Friedenshutten, Gnaddenheutten, Languntouteneunk and Lawunakhannek

Many denominations have deposited their records in central repositories. You can write to the following addresses for more information.

Baptist[edit | edit source]

The Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary
6 Lancaster Ave
Wynnewood, PA 19096-34
Telephone: 610-896-5000

Episcopal[edit | edit source]

Diocese of Pennsylvania
The History Committee
240 S. 4th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Telephone: 215-627-6434
Fax: 215-627-7550

http://www.diopa.org/

This diocese has records for churches that are now closed for Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties only. Churches that are not closed should be contacted for their records. The appropriate diocese holds the records for other counties.

Lutheran[edit | edit source]

A. R. Wentz Library
Lutheran Theological Seminary
61 Seminary Ridge
Gettysburg, PA 17325
Telephone: 717-334-6286
Email: info@ltsg.edu

The A. R. Wentz Library records are not available to the general public, but the Family History Library has filmed many of their church records.

Northeast Regional Archives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia

Krauth Memorial Library
Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia
Seminary Ridge
Gettysburg PA 17325
Phone: 717-334-6286, ext 2131

http://www.ltsp.edu/krauth/archives.html

Tri-Synod Archives
Thiel College
75 College Avenue
Greenville PA 16125
Phone: 724-589-2131

The archives has the records for the local congregations that have disbanded in the eastern third of Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, New England, and upstate New York. Those congregations still active will have all their records or will know where their older records are located.

A helpful source is Frederick S. Weiser, Pennsylvania Lutheran Church Records, 4 vols. (Family History Library book 974.8 K2L; films 824350-52). This includes records from Adams, Columbia, Cumberland, Franklin, Fulton, Lebanon, Northumberland, Snyder, and York counties.

Presbyterian[edit | edit source]

Presbyterian Historical Society
425 Lombard Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Telephone: 215-627-1852
Fax: 215-627-0509

Website http://www.history.pcusa.org

The society and the Family History Library have:

Miscellaneous Biographical Collection. (On 69 Family History Library films beginning with 506383.) This is a very large collection of biographies, national in scope.

Inventory of the Church Archives of Pennsylvania Presbyterian Churches. Works Progress Administration, compiled from 1936-1940. (On 24 Family History Library films beginning with 899326.)

Reformed[edit | edit source]

Archives of the Evangelical and Reformed Church
Philip Schaff Library
Evangelical and Reformed Historical Library
555 W. James Street
Lancaster, PA 17603-2830
Telephone: 717-290-8707
Fax: 717-393-4254

Website: http://www.erhs.info/

A guide to the records in this library is Florence M. Bricker, comp. and ed., Church and Pastoral Records in the Archives of the United Church of Christ and the Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society, Lancaster, PA(Lancaster, PA: The Society, 1982; Family History Library book 974.815/LI K23e).

Roman Catholic[edit | edit source]

Archives of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
100 E. Wynnewood Road
Wynnewood, PA 19096
Telephone: 610-667-3394
Web site - http://www.scs.edu

For a listing of many vital records, see Albert H. Ledoux. Catholic Vital Records of Central Pennsylvania, 4 vols. (Altoona, PA: A. H. Ledoux, 1993-1996; Family History Library book 974.8 K2le).

Society of Friends (Quakers)[edit | edit source]

For Hicksite records:

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
500 College Avenue
Swarthmore, PA 19081
Telephone: 610-328-8493
http://www.swarthmore.edu

For Orthodox records:

Quaker Collection
Haverford College
James P. Magill Library
370 Lancaster Avenue
Haverford, PA 19041-1392
Telephone: 610-896-1000

A card index to Quaker records is William Wade Hinshaw, The William Wade Hinshaw Index to Quaker Meeting Records in the Friends Library in Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania (on 73 Family History Library films beginning with 2146).

For help in finding Quaker records, see:

Inventory of Church Archives, Society of Friends in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, PA: Historical Records Survey, 1941. (Family History Library book 974.8 A3i; films 982060 item 1, 844541 item 2.)

Hinshaw, William Wade. Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. 6 Vols. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Edwards Brothers, 1936-1950. (Vols. 2 and 4 list Pennsylvania records; Family History Library book 973 D2he; vol. 2 is on films 432600-1, vol. 4 is on films 432603-4 and fiche 6051377.)

See also The William Wade Hinshaw Index to Pennsylvania Quaker Meeting Records. 8 vols. (Kokomo, Indiana: Selby Publishing & Printing, 1990; Family History Library book 974.8 K2w).

An important resource for Eastern Pennsylvania is Jack Eckert, Guide to the Records of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (Philadelphia, PA: Haverford College, Records Committee of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Swarthmore College, 1989; Family History Library book 974.8 K23e). It also contains a bibliography, a glossary, and the record location for the other yearly meetings throughout the United States and Canada. The yearly meeting includes the monthly and quarterly meeting records, etc., under its jurisdiction.

Many sources are also listed in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under PENNSYLVANIA - CHURCH HISTORY.

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 [[Portal:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]] was founded as a place of refuge and religious freedom for many diverse groups from Great Britain and Europe. Important religious groups in colonial Pennsylvania were the Society of Friends (Quakers), the German Lutheran, German Reformed, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Baptist, and Catholic churches, and the German Pietist groups, including the Brethren (Dunkard), Mennonites, and Moravians. Before 1900 the major religious groups in Pennsylvania were the Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Reformed, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic churches.
-A detailed Historical Records Survey inventory of church records available at the State Library of Pennsylvania is Inventory of Church Archives in Pennsylvania, Historical Records Survey (on 72 Family History Library films beginning with 1014729). It lists many Pennsylvania churches existing in the 1930s. It is arranged by county and can help you identify the church your ancestors attended.
+A detailed Historical Records Survey inventory of church records available at the State Library of Pennsylvania is Inventory of Church Archives in Pennsylvania, Historical Records Survey (on 72 Family History Library films beginning with [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=384182&disp=Inventory+of+church+archives+in+Pennsylv%20%20&columns=*,0,0 1014729]). It lists many Pennsylvania churches existing in the 1930s. It is arranged by county and can help you identify the church your ancestors attended.
 The [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp Family History Library] has extensive collections of church records for the Lutheran, Presbyterian, Reformed (United Church of Christ), and Society of Friends denominations. Many transcripts of local church records have been published.
@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 The Family History Library also has histories of the Church of the Brethren, the Society of Friends, and the Baptist, Schwenkfelder, Evangelical Lutheran, Reformed, Presbyterian, Moravian, and Catholic churches in Pennsylvania.
-Two of the largest groups were the German Lutheran and Reformed churches. For excellent information on the various congregations and their histories and records, see Charles H. Glatfelter, ''Pastors and Peoples,'' 2 vols. (Breingsville, PA: Pennsylvania German Society, 1980 and 1981 as vols. 13 and 15 of The Publications of the Pennsylvania German Society; Family History Library books 974.8 B4pgp vol. 13, 15).
+Two of the largest groups were the German Lutheran and Reformed churches. For excellent information on the various congregations and their histories and records, see Charles H. Glatfelter, ''Pastors and Peoples,'' 2 vols. (Breingsville, PA: Pennsylvania German Society, 1980 and 1981 as vols. 13 and 15 of The Publications of the Pennsylvania German Society; Family History Library books [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlehitlist&columns=*%2C0%2C0&callno=974.8+B4pgp+ 974.8 B4pgp] vol. 13, 15).
 === Missions  ===
@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 Northeast Regional Archives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America<br>Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia
 Krauth Memorial Library<br>Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia<br>Seminary Ridge<br>Gettysburg PA 17325<br>Phone: 717-334-6286, ext 2131<br>[mailto:echrist@ltsg.edu <br>]
 [mailto:echrist@ltsg.edu http://www.ltsp.edu/krauth/archives.html]
@@ Line 63: / Line 63: @@
 === Reformed  ===
 Archives of the Evangelical and Reformed Church<br>Philip Schaff Library<br>Evangelical and Reformed Historical Library<br>555 W. James Street<br>Lancaster, PA 17603-2830<br>Telephone: 717-290-8707<br>Fax: 717-393-4254<br>[mailto:library@lancasterseminary.edu <br>]
 [mailto:library@lancasterseminary.edu '''Website'''<nowiki>: http://www.erhs.info/</nowiki><br>]
 A guide to the records in this library is Florence M. Bricker, comp. and ed., ''Church and Pastoral Records in the Archives of the United Church of Christ and the Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society, Lancaster, PA''(Lancaster, PA: The Society, 1982; Family History Library book 974.815/LI K23e).