The Jefferson County History Center research facility provides an extensive library, public computers with free research programming, genealogy resources, and an extensive searchable archive database relating to the history of Jefferson County. Contract or assisted research is available.
Genealogy Assistance
In-house library use fees:
- Members – Free
- Student Research – Free
- Non-member – $10.00 per hour (self-research in-house)
- Photocopies – $0.25 each
- Student Photocopies – First five free
- Self scanning/document photography – $5.00 per day
Research Library and Archives
Our knowledgeable staff and volunteers are available to assist both members and non-members visiting the center for research. Available in our files are:
- Surname, topical and ephemera files
- Family genealogies
Manuscripts include: Bibles, diaries, scrapbooks, autographs, account books, personal and family papers, maps, surveys,and architectural drawings.
Record Groups (Includes civic, fraternal and professional groups, church and cemetery records, business and industry, and schools)
Periodicals related to Western Pennsylvania
Newspaper microfilms including all available Jeffersonian Democrat, Brookville American, Brookville Republican, Brockway Record, Reynoldsville Star, Punxsutawney Spirit
All authoritative histories of Jefferson County
- Directories and indexes
- Genealogical reference volumes
- Jefferson County Census microfilms (1810-1930)
- U.S. Census search from 1790 through 1940
- Obits – Local newspaper obituaries
- Local histories, some church records, tombstone indexes, marriage indexes and other various records
- Transcriptions of courthouse records that include: deaths, births, marriages, deeds, wills, probates, and naturalization
Assisted Research Fees
- Quick Look-up — $15.00 per item (Limited to single record of birth, death or marriage)
- Genealogy Search Fee —$25.00 per hour (1 hour minimum prepaid and balance due before mailing)
- Gravestone Photograph —$20.00 (additional same cemetery, $10.00)
- In-house Genealogist Assisted Research —$25.00 per hour
- Requests that require county courthouse database will be billed additionally at cost
Public Computer
Researchers at JCHC have free access using our public computers to Ancestry, Pennsylvania Archives, Civil War Database, Fold 3, Family Search, Newspapers.com, Genealogy Bank, and Geni.
County Records
Under agreement with the Jefferson County Commissioners, the History Center stores and makes available for public use tax assessor books, documents and other courthouse records in the Brady Craig House on Jefferson Street. They can be accessed by stopping at the History Center to sign out a key to that building. Researchers do not have to be a member of the JCHS to access these records, and there is no fee other than for photocopying.
Questions about accessing these records should be referred to JCHC by phone: (814) 849-0077 or by email klyons-jchc@windstream.net. Researchers should no longer contact the Tax Assessors office at the Courthouse for access to these records.
Collections
The Jefferson County Historical Society collects and preserves artifacts, photographs, documents, books, and other items related to the history of the county ranging from prehistoric times to the present.
We also archives the Jefferson County tax records and makes them available to researchers at our off-site Brady Craig archives building.
Items currently not on display may be researched through our database accessible from the public JCHC computers. Upon request, specific items will be transported from our archives location to the History Center for researchers to use.
A fee schedule exists for photographs that will be utilized in any for-profit publication or endeavor not affiliated with the JCHC and proper acknowledgement of source is required.
