Westmoreland County Genealogy Records

Westmoreland County genealogy records are among the oldest in Pennsylvania, dating back to the county's founding in 1773. Researchers searching Westmoreland County family history can access marriage licenses, birth and death records, wills, probate files, and land deeds through the courthouse in Greensburg. The Westmoreland History Library and Genealogy collection in Greensburg holds over 5,000 historical reference books along with genealogical records and original documents. Westmoreland County's role as one of Pennsylvania's earliest settled western counties makes it an important research location for families who moved westward from eastern Pennsylvania and Virginia during the colonial period.

Westmoreland County Genealogy Records Overview

Westmoreland County was created in 1773, making it one of the original Pennsylvania counties and one of the oldest in the trans-Allegheny region. Greensburg, the county seat, became the administrative center for a large swath of western Pennsylvania. The county has a long record of settlement by Scots-Irish, German, and English families who crossed the Allegheny Mountains in search of new land. Coal mining dominated the 19th and early 20th centuries, attracting immigrants from Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Italy, and other European countries. This ethnic diversity is reflected in the Westmoreland County genealogy record base.

Core genealogy records available for Westmoreland County include marriage licenses from 1885, birth and death records from 1893 to 1905, wills and probate records from 1773, and land records from 1773. The Westmoreland County Record Information page provides specific guidance on accessing each type of record. The county also holds incomplete birth and death records from 1852 to 1855 and incomplete marriage records from that same period. For records after 1905, contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

The Westmoreland County courthouse in Greensburg and the Westmoreland History Library are the two main resources for genealogy research in this southwestern Pennsylvania county.

Westmoreland County Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds

The Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds in Greensburg hold the essential records for Westmoreland County genealogy research. Marriage records have been kept since 1885 and incomplete records exist from 1852 to 1855. Birth and death records are available from 1893 to 1905 and partially from 1852 to 1855. Estate records span from 1773 to the present. Orphans' Court records also begin in 1773. All searches require at least a first and last name; knowledge of the individual's place of residence in Westmoreland County is useful but not required.

A notable historical detail: In May 2012, the county discovered that marriages performed by District Judge Raymond Tubbs from 1974 to 1989 had not been filed with the county. The office has been working to reconstruct these marriages. Researchers looking for Westmoreland County marriages from that period should contact the courthouse directly if they cannot locate an expected record. Under Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. § 67.101, most courthouse records are presumed public and available to researchers.

Westmoreland History Library and Genealogy

The Westmoreland History Library and Genealogy collection in Greensburg holds over 5,000 historical reference books, genealogical records, and original documents of local interest. The library's available records include marriage and death notices compiled from weekly newspapers from 1818 to 1900, indexes to wills from 1771 to 1839, city directories from 1909, and volumes of the Pennsylvania Archives. Research requests must be submitted in writing using the Genealogical Research Request Form; phone inquiries are not accepted. Email submissions are accepted. Each request receives an identification number and takes approximately six to eight weeks for response.

Sustaining members of Westmoreland History receive one complimentary hour of research per year, with additional hours available for a fee. Newspaper-compiled marriage and death records from 1818 to 1900 are especially useful for filling gaps before formal vital records began. Indexes to wills from 1771 to 1839 extend probate record access back to the colonial period. These resources combine to make the Westmoreland History library one of the most important genealogy destinations in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Note: Westmoreland History's newspaper-based marriage and death indexes from 1818 to 1900 can bridge the gap between the county's founding in 1773 and the beginning of formal marriage license registration in 1885.

Vital Records in Westmoreland County

Vital records in Westmoreland County divide by time period. Birth and death records from 1893 to 1905 and partial records from 1852 to 1855 are at the courthouse in Greensburg. For births and deaths after 1905, the Pennsylvania Department of Health maintains statewide vital records and can be contacted in New Castle, PA 16103. Under 35 P.S. § 450.801, birth records become public after 105 years and death records after 50 years, so many early 20th-century Westmoreland County vital records are now open for genealogy research.

Marriage licenses in Westmoreland County date from 1885 at the Register of Wills, with partial records from 1852 to 1855. The Westmoreland History newspaper indexes supplement official records for the 1818 to 1885 period. Church records are another important source for pre-1885 marriages. Westmoreland County had numerous Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist congregations, and some of their records survive. FamilySearch provides free online access to many Pennsylvania church records covering Westmoreland County families.

Pennsylvania Archives and Westmoreland County Research

The Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg holds statewide collections supplementing Westmoreland County courthouse records. Military records in the ARIAS database cover Westmoreland County residents in Pennsylvania units from the Revolution through World War II. Land Warrant Registers from 1733 to 1957 document early grants in Westmoreland County territory, which was among the earliest settled regions west of the Alleghenies. Under 37 Pa.C.S. § 305.3, records more than 75 years old at the State Archives are open for public research.

The State Library of Pennsylvania maintains census records for Westmoreland County from 1790 through 1940 on microfilm, along with county histories and published family genealogies. FamilySearch offers free online access to many Westmoreland County records. Act 127 of 2016 expanded access to adoption records in Pennsylvania, which may be relevant to some Westmoreland County genealogy searches.

Cities in Westmoreland County

Greensburg is the county seat of Westmoreland County, with Latrobe, Jeannette, and Monessen among the other notable communities. Explore Pennsylvania city genealogy resources below.

Nearby Counties

Westmoreland County borders several southwestern Pennsylvania counties. Genealogy research may require checking records in neighboring areas.

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