New Hampshire Archives and Libraries

United States

U.S. Archives and Libraries

New Hampshire

Archives and Libraries

New Hampshire Wiki Topics

Beginning Research

Guided Research Research Strategies Record Finder

Record Types

Adoption Bible Records Cemeteries Census Church Records Colonial Records Correctional Institutions Court Records Crime & Punishment Directories Divorce Records Emigration & Immigration Genealogies Land & Property Military Records Naturalization & Citizenship Newspapers Obituaries Online Collections Periodicals Probate Records Taxation Town Records Vital Records Voter Records

New Hampshire Background

Biography Church History Further Reading Gazetteers History Maps Migration

Cultural Groups

African Americans Indigenous Peoples Cultural Groups Swedish American

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Find a FamilySearch center

These archives, libraries, and societies preserve sources, maintain indexes, and provide services to help genealogists document their ancestors who lived in New Hampshire.

Wiki Articles on Major Repositories for New Hampshire

Allen County Public Library (Ft. Wayne IN) · American Antiquarian Society (Worcester MA) · American-Canadian Genealogical Society · Division of Archives and Records Management · Division of Vital Records Administration · Dover Public Library · Haverhill Public Library (Haverhill MA) · Massachusetts State Archives (Boston MA) · National Archives at Boston (Waltham MA) · Nashua Public Library · New England Historic Genealogical Society (Boston MA) · New Hampshire Historical Society Library · New Hampshire State Library · University of New Hampshire Dimond Library · Vermont Historical Society Leahy Library (Barre VT)

Online Records of New Hampshire

New Hampshire Online Genealogy Records Links to online databases and indexes that may include vital records, biographies, cemeteries, censuses, histories, immigration records, land records, maps, military records, naturalizations, newspapers, obituaries, or probate records. New Hampshire GenWeb Genealogy and History Project This site has transcriptions of censuses from drop down menu, and more. New Hampshire Genealogy & History at SearchRoots covers all the major record groups and has numerous links to online resources. It even has detailed guides to every county and many towns in the state.

National Repositories

National Archives at Boston (in Waltham MA) National Archives at Boston 380 Trapelo Road Waltham, MA 02452-6399 Phone: (781) 663-0130 Fax: (781) 663-0154 Email: waltham.archives@nara.gov Website: National Archives at Boston The National Archives at Boston has Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont documents, photos, and maps of 80 federal agencies, War of 1812, fortifications, coastal facilities, World War II research at Harvard and MIT, federal bankruptcy courts, First Circuit Court of Appeals, Navy, Coast Guard, westward expansion, ethnology, genealogy, Revolutionary War, Civil War, captured German records, territorial papers, censuses, passenger arrival records for Boston and New England, Canadian border crossings.

NEHGS at 101 Newbury St in Boston New England Historic Genealogical Society NEHGS 101 Newbury Street Boston, Massachusetts 02116-3007 Telephone: 617-536-5740; Library 617-226-1231 Fax: 617-536-7307 Email: info@nehgs.org Website: AmericanAncestors.org Best overall collection for New England vital records and probates, and excellent collection for Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, and Europe. The manuscript collection for members only has diaries, letters, account books, business papers, church and town records, sermons, maps, wills, deeds, unpublished town and family genealogies, photos, and papers of the region's best genealogists since 1850. The New Hampshire collection has great detail on some early families, unpublished family histories, and many town and county histories.

Statewide Repositories

Division of Archives and Records Management

New Hampshire Department of State
71 South Fruit Street
Concord, New Hampshire 03301
Telephone: 603-271-2236
Fax: 603-271-2272
Website: Division of Archives and Records Management

They hold the original town and state records.

*Guide to Archives is alphabetical by subject matter found in the collections and publications.

*New Hampshire. Department of State. Division of Records Management and Archives. Guide to Early Documents (c. 1680–c. 1900) is an inventory of documents at the New Hampshire Records Management and Archives Center. (Concord, N.H.: Division of Records Management, 1981). (FS Catalog book 974.2 A3n; film 1320570 item3; fiche 6332691.)

Division of Vital Records Administration

DVRA
N.H. Department of State
71 South Fruit Street
Concord, NH 03301-2410
Telephone: 603-271-4650
Fax: 603-271-3447
Email: vitalrecords@sos.nh.gov
Website: Obtaining Certified Copies of Vital Records

To obtain certified NH vital records, complete the required application form, and send it to the DVRA, or visit your local City or Town Clerk and pay a search fee. New Hampshire has vital records since the early 1600s.

New Hampshire Historical Society Library

30 Park Street
Concord, NH 03301
Telephone: 603-228-6688
Email: Contact Us form
Website: New Hampshire Historical Society

Clearly the best genealogical collection in the state including town, county, and state histories, church records, deeds 1640-1770, maps, unpublished genealogies, newspapers, and a 30,000 card index of NH notables.

New Hampshire State Library in Concord

New Hampshire State Library

20 Park Street
Concord, New Hampshire 03301
Telephone: 603-271-6823 or 2144
Fax: 603-271-2205
Website: Genealogy and New Hampshire History

They have nearly all published histories and genealogies for New Hampshire.

Regional Respositories

American-Canadian Genealogical Society

4 Elm Street (P.O. Box 6478)
Manchester, NH 03103-6478
USA
Telephone: 603-622-1554
Email: acgs@acgs.org
Website: American-Canadian Genealogical Society

They have the Drouin Collection of Roman Catholic church records of Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick, a good collection of New Brunswick censuses, and limited material from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. They also have a good New Hampshire and New England marriage collection, PRDH vitial events to 1800, Loiselle, Rivest, and Tanguay.

Dover Public Library

73 Locust Street
Dover, NH 03820
Telephone: 603-516-6082
Fax: 603-516-6053
Email: library.dover.nh.gov
Website: Dover Public Library

Their excellent genealogical collection includes New Hampshire unpublished genealogies, printed books, indexes, cemetery transcripts, obituaries, and biographies.

Nashua Public Library

2 Court Street
Nashua, NH 03060
Telephone: 603-589-4600
Email: Contact Us form
Website: Nashua Public Library

Their nice genealogy collection is housed in one room. They have northern New England books, family folders, cemetery transcripts, obituaries, and manuscripts.

University of New Hampshire Dimond Library

Special Collections
18 Library Way
Durham, New Hampshire 03824
Telephone: 603-862-2714
Email: Ask a librarian contact form
Website: University of New Hampshire Library

The Dimond Library is a federal and state depository, and houses special collections with genealogical and family papers sources. The digital collection can be found on their website.

Allen Co Public Library IN

Outside New Hampshire Repositories

Allen County Public Library

900 Library Plaza
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802
Telephone: 260-421-1225
Email: genealogy@acpl.info
Website: Genealogy Center ACPL

This is the second-largest genealogy collection in the United States and the largest genealogy collection in a public library. Its holdings include more than 350,000 printed volumes and 513,000 items on microfilm and microfiche. It has a premier genealogical periodical collection, local histories, genealogies, databases, military, censuses, directories, passenger lists, ethnic sources, and Canadians. They have a great eastern seaboard and New Hampshire collection.

American Antiquarian Society

American Antiquarian Society in Worcester MA

185 Salisbury Street
Worcester, Massachusetts 01609-1634
Telephone: 508-755-5221
Fax: 508-753-3311
Email: Library@americanantiquarian.org
Website: American Antiquarian Society

Best known for its U.S. newspaper collection of over 18,000 bound volumes 1704-1820, history, genealogy, Bibles, maps, biography, directories, Native Americans, women, canals, railroads, photos, manuscripts. They have New Hampshire vital records, newspapers, and town histories. One of the best genealogy centers in America.

Haverhill Public Library

Haverhill Public Library in Massachusetts

99 Main Street
Haverhill, Massachusetts 01830
Telephone: 978-373-1586
Email: hpl-ref@mvlc.org
Website: Haverhill Public Library Special Collections

One of New England's largest collections of original manuscripts, books, genealogical periodicals, and surname folders, local history collection, genealogy databases, Massachusetts vital records to 1910, federal and state censuses, 9,000 New England town and family histories. Their collection of New England and New Hampshire sources is larger than most.

Massachusetts State Archives in Boston

Massachusetts State Archives

220 Morrissey Boulevard
Boston, MA 02125
Phone: (617) 727–2816
Email: archives@sec.state.ma.us
Website: Massachusetts State Archives

The Massachusetts Archives Index, aka "Colonial Index" lists nearly every New England immigrant including those who settled New Hampshire.

Vermont Historical Society Leahy Library

VT Hist Society Leahy Library in Barre VT

Vermont History Center
60 Washington Street
Barre, Vermont 05641
Telephone: 802-479-8500
Email: info@vermonthistory.org
Website: Vermont History Center

VHS is definitely the best research center for early Vermont residents, many of whom migrated from New Hampshire.

FamilySearch Centers

Some of the above collections are partially duplicated at the FamilySearch Library and its branch FamilySearch Centers around the world. Most centers can help you by:

• Giving you limited, personal, one-on-one research suggestions (but they do not do research for you)
• Providing access to genealogical records through the premium online Internet FamilySearch Center Portal.
• Offering free how-to classes (varies by location)
• Fostering contact between genealogical enthusiasts

There are several centers located in New Hampshire, for example:

Concord New Hampshire FamilySearch Center
90 Clinton St.
Concord NH 03301 USA
Telephone: 603-225-2848.

Each center is staffed by volunteers and has varying hours and services. Telephone in advance to verify their hours.

To locate one of these 4,500 centers in your own neighborhood, see Find a FamilySearch Center.