Genealogical materials make up a large portion of the Pennsylvania Room’s holdings. This part of the collection is especially dependent on donations by researchers and grows through the hard work and generosity of our visitors. We are pleased to collect and preserve the “personal history” of Fayette County!

Books and Binders

The Pennsylvania Room maintains a large collection of books and binders dedicated to the history of individual families. Many of these publications were printed in small numbers — often by their authors — and thus may be hard to find elsewhere. They are arranged by surname and located on the free-standing shelves in the center of the Pennsylvania Room.

These publications appear in our online catalog. Type in “[Last Name] Family” — for example, “Leonard Family” — in a keyword search to see if we hold a particular genealogy book or binder.

Vertical Files

The vertical files are folders dedicated to individual families that contain miscellaneous materials donated by genealogical researchers over the years. They are arranged by surname and located in the back of the Pennsylvania Room, near the microfilm machines.

These folders appear in our online catalog. Type in “[Last Name] Family” — for example, “Leonard Family” — in a keyword search to see if a particular vertical file exists.