Virginia Historical Society • FamilySearch

Virginia Historical Society

Founded in 1831, the Virginia Historical Society is a private organization and derives its support from membership and endowment. Chief Justice John Marshall was elected its first president, and former president James Madison was elected its first honorary member. The organization is housed in the Battle Abbey, that began as the Confederate Memorial Association shrine to the Confederate Dead.

Contact Information

E-mail: fpollard@vahistorical.org (Frances Pollard, Chief Librarian)

Address:

Virginia Historical Society

428 North Boulevard

Richmond, Virginia 23220

Telephone: 804-358-4901

Hours: Mon. to Sat. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed federal holidays^[1]

Public transportation, maps, and directions:

Directions to Virginia House

Wikipedia has more about this subject: Virginia Historical Society

Internet sites and databases:

Virginia Historical Society Catalog Online
Virginia Historical Society home page
Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, tables of contents, indexes, online access tips

Collection Description

A wiki article describing an online collection is found at:

Virginia Historical Society Papers (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Tips

Admission to the research library and museum is free.^[1]

Guides

Research at the Virginia Historical Society; [www.vahistorical.org/publications/books.htm Books and Research Guides at the VHS]; Virginia's Civil War: A Guide to Manuscripts at the Virginia; and VHS, Guide to African American Manuscripts.

Alternate Repositories

If you cannot visit or find a record at the Virginia Historical Society, a similar record may be available at one of the following.

Similar Collections

Family History Library, Salt Lake City, 450 computers, 3,400 databases, 3.1 million microforms, 4,500 periodicals, 310,000 books of worldwide family and local histories, civil, church, immigration, ethnic, military, Mormon records.
Allen County Public Library (Indiana) has a premier genealogical periodical collection, genealogies, local histories, databases, military, censuses, directories, passenger lists, American Indians, African Americans, Canadians.

Neighboring Collections

Library of Virginia, digital sources, databases, vital, military, newspapers, periodicals, tax, history, land records.
National Archives I, Washington DC, census, pre-WWI military service & pensions, passenger lists, naturalizations, passports, federal bounty land, homesteads, bankruptcy, ethnic sources, prisons, and federal employees.
Daughters of the American Revolution Library, Washington DC, Revolutionary War and colonial period, including family and local histories, cemetery transcriptions, Bible records, 15,000 genealogical membership applications.
Maryland State Archives, census, court, church, vital, military, probate, land, tax, immigration, naturalizations.

Sources

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 "Visit the VHS," Virginia Historical Society, http://www.vahistorical.org/visit/location.htm, accessed 10 February 2012.

v • d• e Links to Virginia-related articles (see also West Virginia-related articles)

Topics	Search Strategies • Record Finder • Introduction • African Americans • American Indians • Archives and Libraries • Bible Records • Biography • Cemeteries • Census • Church Records • Court Records • Digital Collections • Directories • Emigration and Immigration • Gazetteers • Genealogy • Heraldry • History • Land and Property • Law and Legislation • Maps • Military Records • Naturalization and Citizenship • Newspapers • Occupations • Online Records • Periodicals • Probate Records • Public Records • Schools • Societies • Taxation • Vital Records • Voting Records • For Further Reading

Counties	Accomack • Albemarle • Alleghany • Amelia • Amherst • Appomattox • Arlington • Augusta • Bath • Bedford • Bland • Botetourt • Brunswick • Buchanan • Buckingham • Campbell • Caroline • Carroll • Charles City • Charlotte • Chesterfield • Clarke • Craig • Culpeper • Cumberland • Dickenson • Dinwiddie • Essex • Fairfax • Fauquier • Floyd • Fluvanna • Franklin • Frederick • Giles • Gloucester • Goochland • Grayson • Greene • Greensville • Halifax • Hanover • Henrico • Henry • Highland • Isle of Wight • James City • King and Queen • King George • King William • Lancaster • Lee • Loudoun • Louisa • Lunenburg • Madison • Mathews • Mecklenburg • Middlesex • Montgomery • Nelson • New Kent • Northampton • Northumberland • Nottoway • Orange • Page • Patrick • Pittsylvania • Powhatan • Prince Edward • Prince George • Prince William • Pulaski • Rappahannock (New) • Richmond • Roanoke • Rockbridge • Rockingham • Russell • Scott • Shenandoah • Smyth • Southampton • Spotsylvania • Stafford • Surry • Sussex • Tazewell • Warren • Washington • Westmoreland • Wise • Wythe • York

Independent Cities	Alexandria • Bedford • Bristol • Buena Vista • Charlottesville • Chesapeake • Clifton Forge • Colonial Heights • Covington • Danville • Emporia • Fairfax • Falls Church • Franklin • Fredericksburg • Galax • Hampton • Harrisonburg • Hopewell • Lexington • Lynchburg • City of Manassas • Manassas Park • Martinsville • Newport News • Norfolk • Norton • Petersburg • Poquoson • Portsmouth • Radford • Richmond • Roanoke • Salem • Staunton • Suffolk • Virginia Beach • Waynesboro • Williamsburg • Winchester

Extinct Counties/Cities	Alexandria County • Dunmore • Elizabeth City • Fincastle • Illinois • Kentucky • Manchester • Nansemond • Norfolk • Norfolk (Lower) • Norfolk (New) • Norfolk (South) • Norfolk (Upper) • Princess Anne • Rappahannock (Old) • South Boston • Warwick • West Augusta • Yohogania

Counties gone to KY	Bourbon • Fayette • Jefferson • Kentucky (extinct) • Lincoln • Madison • Mason • Mercer • Nelson • Woodford

Counties gone to WV	Barbour • Berkeley • Boone • Braxton • Brooke • Cabell • Calhoun • Clay • Doddridge • Fayette • Gilmer • Greenbrier • Hampshire • Hancock • Hardy • Harrison • Jackson • Jefferson • Kanawha • Lewis • Logan • Marion • Marshall • Mason • McDowell • Mercer • Monongalia • Monroe • Morgan • Nicholas • Ohio • Pendleton • Pleasants • Pocahontas • Preston • Putnam • Raleigh • Randolph • Ritchie • Roane • Taylor • Tucker • Tyler • Upshur • Wayne • Webster • Wetzel • Wirt • Wood • Wyoming

Colonial Parishes	Abingdon • Accomac • Accomack • Albemarle • Amherst • Antrim • Appomattox • Argall's Gift • Augusta • Bath • Beckford • Berkeley • Blisland • Blount Point • Botetourt • Boutracy • Bristol • Bromfield • Brunswick • Bruton • Camden • Cameron • Charles City • Charles • Charles River • Chickacoan • Chickahominy • Chippokes • Chiskiack • Chotank • Christ Church (Lancaster Co.) • Christ Church (Middlesex Co.) • Chuckatuck • Cople • Cornwall • Cumberland • Dale • Denbigh • Dettingen • Drysdale • East • Elizabeth City • Elizabeth River • Fairfax • Fairfield • Farnham • Flowerdew Hundred • Fluvanna • Frederick • Fredericksville • Hamilton • Hampton • Hanover • Harrop • Henrico • Hog Island • Hungars • James City • Jordan's Journey • Kecoughtan • Kingston • King William • Lancaster • Lawnes Creek • Lee • Leeds • Lexington • Littleton • Lower (Elizabeth City Co.) • Lower (Isle of Wight Co.) • Lower (Lancaster Co.) • Lower (Nansemond Co.) • Lower (Northampton Co.) • Lower (Stafford Co.) • Lower (Upper Norfolk Co.) • Lower Suffolk • Lunenburg • Lynnhaven • Machodick • Manchester • Marston • Martin's Brandon • Martin's Hundred • Meherrin • Middle Plantation • Middletowne • Montgomery • Mulberry Island • New Poquoson • Newport • Nomini • Norborne • Northampton • North Farnham • Nottoway (Prince Edward Co.) • Nottoway (Southampton Co.) • Nutmeg Quarter • Occohannock • Overwharton • Patrick • Petsworth • Piankatank • Piscataway • Poropotank • Portsmouth • Potomac • Raleigh • Richmond • Rockbridge • Rockingham • Russell • St. Andrew's • St. Anne's (Albemarle Co.) • St. Anne's (Essex and Caroline Cos.) • St. Asaph's • St. Brides • St. David's • St. George's (Accomack Co.) • St. George's (Spotsylvania Co.) • St. James Northam • St. James Southam • St. James's (Goochland Co.) • St. James's (Mecklenburg Co.) • St. John's • St. Luke's • St. Margaret's • St. Mark's • St. Martin's • St. Mary's • St. Mary's Whitechapel • St. Patrick's • St. Paul's (Hanover Co.) • St. Paul's (King George Co.) • St. Peter's • St. Stephen's (King and Queen Co.) • St. Stephen's (Northumberland Co.) • St. Thomas • Shelburne • Sittenburne • Smith's Hundred • South • Southampton • South Farnham • Southwark • Stafford • Stanley Hundred • Stratton Major • Suffolk • Tillotson • Trinity (Lancaster Co.) • Trinity (Louisa Co.) • Truro • Upper (Elizabeth City Co.) • Upper (Isle of Wight Co.) • Upper (Lancaster Co.) • Upper (Nansemond Co.) • Upper (Northampton Co.) • Upper (Stafford Co.) • Upper Suffolk • Varina • Wallingford • Ware • Warrosquyoake • Warwick • Washington (Westmoreland Co.) • Washington (Washington Co.) • Waters Creek • West • West and Shirley • Westbury • Westover • Weyanoke • Wicomico • Wilmington • York • Yorkhampton

Major Repositories	Bristol Public Library · Germanna Foundation Library · Handley Regional Library · Historical Society of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA) · Historical Society of Washington, D.C. · John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library at Colonial Williamsburg · Jones Memorial Library · Library of Congress (Washington, DC) · Library of Virginia · Mary Ball Washington Museum and Library · Maryland State Archives (Annapolis, MD) · National Archives I (Washington, DC) · National Archives II (College Park, MD) · National Archives at Philadelphia (PA) · National Genealogical Society · New York Public Library (New York City, NY) · Pennsylvania State Archives (Harrisburg, PA) · Portsmouth Public Library · Roanoke County Public Library · Salisbury University Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture (Salisbury, MD) · Santa Cruz Public Library Downtown (Santa Cruz, CA) · University of Virginia Library · Virginia Department of Health · Virginia Historical Society · Virginia Theological Seminary · Washington National Records Center (Suitland, MD) · William and Mary College Swem Library

Migration Routes	Routes: Chesapeake Bay • James River • Potomac River • Rappahannock River • York River • Chesapeake and Ohio Canal • Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad • Fall Line Road (or Southern Road) • Great Indian Warpath • Great Trading Path • Great Valley Road • Kanawha Trail • King's Highway • National Road (Cumberland Road) • New River and Southern Trail • Occaneechi Path • Old Cherokee Path • Old Northwestern Turnpike • Pamunkey-New River Trail • Pioneer Road • Richmond Road • Richmond-Williamsburg Road • Saura-Saponi Trail • Secondary Coast Road • Upper Road • Wilderness Road • Wilmington, Highpoint, and Northern Trail • Ports: Atlantic Coast Ports • Accomack • Alexandria • Belvoir Plantation • Bermuda Hundred • Dumfries • Falmouth • Fredericksburg • Hampton • Jamestown • Leedstown • Norfolk • Port Royal • Portsmouth • South Quay • Suffolk • Tappahannock (aka Hobb's Hole) • Urbanna • Williamsburg • Yorktown