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For questions about Research Services e-mail reference@lancasterhistory.org or write
to:
Research
Lancaster County Historical Society
230 N. President
Ave.
Lancaster, PA 17603
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We recommend that if possible, you visit the historical society
yourself to do research. For those unable to do so, we provide some
research services through the mail.
Ready Reference
Do you have a general question about Lancaster County history? Want to know a bit more about our collections? Email your question to our reference staff. We will respond as soon as possible, usually within 24 hours (Monday-Thursday).
Ready reference questions are those that our research staff can answer quickly using secondary sources easily at hand in our reading room, including the historical society's online catalog. These searches are free of charge, but are very limited in scope. If staff determines that a question is beyond the scope of the ready reference service, we will ask that you submit a Historical Request Form. This process and the associated fees are explained below.
Historical Research Request
We are happy to assist patrons conducting Lancaster County-related historical research of a non-genealogical nature. We ask that patrons submit one specific and well-defined question per request. We are able to answer questions about specific events, people and places requiring consultation of mainly secondary sources, but cannot accommodate complex questions requiring original research and substantial interpretation of primary sources. For example, questions within the scope of our research service are: “Who were some of the leading figures in Revolutionary War-era Lancaster County, and what were their most significant contributions?” or “How many newspapers were published in Lancaster County between 1850-1870 and what were their political leanings?” In contrast, a question such as “How important was Lancaster County during the Revolutionary War?” is too vague, and a question such as “What were the relationships between the various European cultural and religious groups in Lancaster County during the mid-nineteenth century and how did they each view the issue of slavery?” is too broad and requires use and interpretation of primary sources beyond the scope of our research service.
- Please use one FORM for each question you wish us to research.
- Research rates are $35 ($30 for members) for up to two hours of research. Pre-payment of this initial fee is required. If additional research is needed to complete your request we will contact you for authorization to proceed. Research beyond the initial two hours is charged at $10/half-hour. We accept checks and money orders. Fees are non-refundable.
- Please allow up to four weeks for a response.
Genealogical Research
If you seek information about a Lancaster County ancestor you should submit a Genealogical Research Order Form (PDF requires Adobe Acrobat Reader). A list of Contract Researchers is also available.
In order to provide prompt and accurate service, we ask patrons to note the following:
- Please use one form for each ancestor you wish us to research.
- Refine your inquiries as much as possible, limiting them to searches for specific information about one ancestor or immediate family in Lancaster County within a defined date range, for example: “Can you tell me when Joe Smith was born and where he is buried?” or “Can you tell me who Joe Smith’s children were?”
- Requests for “All documents related to Joe Smith,” or questions such as: “Can you research the Smith family?” are too vague and are beyond the scope of the services our small staff can provide. For these types of questions, patrons might consider hiring a professional genealogist.
- For searches of specific legal document collections, please see Document Ordering Services, below.
- Research rates are $35 ($30 for members) for up to two hours of research. Pre-payment of this initial fee is required. If additional research is needed to complete your request we will contact you for authorization to proceed. Research beyond the initial two hours is charged at $10/half-hour. We accept checks and money orders. Fees are non-refundable.
- Please allow up to four weeks for a response.
While we cannot guarantee results, we will consult all relevant texts and journals, archival, county document, manuscript and photograph collections, online subscription databases, in-house electronic databases and our objects collection. We will send a written response, including a list of sources consulted, a summary of results and photocopies of any relevant documents or printed text.
Document Ordering Service
Copies can be made for a variety of documents in our collections.
The cost is $5.00 per document to search, copy and send to you.
Not all types of documents will be available for a particular person.
The following documents and years of availability are:
- Administrative Accounts: 1729 - 1901
- Deeds: 1729 - 1860's
- Estate Inventories: 1729 - 1913
- Obituaries: 1798 - date
Please note that date of death must be provided. Obituaries are
not common before the late 19th century.
- Orphan's Court: 1742 - 1867
- Wills: 1730 - 1908
To order copies of documents download, print and complete the
Document Order Request Form.
Patrons wishing to request research beyond searches of these document collections can submit a Research Request. (Call the library at 717 392-4633 x108 or email us.)
Photocopy Requests
Patrons who do not require research assistance, but who would like to request a photocopy of specific pages or items in the collection should email us their requests. Please provide a specific citation of the material you are requesting. Charges for photocopy requests include a $5 processing fee, plus .25/page, payable before the copies are mailed. If you require a search of our documents collections or additional research, please see the services described above. For copies of Journal articles, see below.
Journal Orders
The Journal has been published for over 100 years. While the full text of the journal is not on-line, you can search the Library Catalog by author, title, subject or keyword for article citations. A Table of Contents and an Every Name Index can also be used to search for information in the Journal. To order copies of articles complete the Journal Order Request Form.
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