Germantown Historical Society - Library and Archives

Inside the Library and Archives
Catalog of Directories
Research by Mail

Library and Archives

Discover your Germantown roots in our Library and Archives! We have a wealth of material from 1683 to the present day on family names, houses, businesses, and more. Newspapers, maps, land records, deeds and hundreds of individual and organizational records will be at your fingertips. We have rare books and Bibles, oral history interviews, and a marvelous collection on the Wissahickon Valley.

For those who prefer pictures, the photography collection is especially rich and includes thousands of glass plate negatives, daguerreotypes, and lantern slides.

Online Catalog

We have an online catalog of our directories, including Philadelphia City and Business Directories, Blue Books, local and national Social Registers, and recent telephone directories. A convenient way to find out what you need before you stop by!

Go to our Catalog page

Research by Mail

Are you doing Philadelphia-area research, but live too far away, or just can't find the time to come to the Society in person and search through our records? We can help—with our Research by Mail!

For $50, the Society will provide two hours of research, photocopies and shipping, within about two months. That's right—you provide the topic and instructions, and we do the rest!

If it's strictly genealogical research you're doing, we will xerox one surname from any 10 years of the Philadelphia City Directories for $25 and mail you the copies of the entire page(s) with that surname (common surnames require a first name, and possibly a middle initial). See our new Catalog page for a complete listing of City Directories.

There is no cheaper way to obtain this much information unless you are in Philadelphia and can do the copying yourself from the printed material. Just send a check, or money order (from our order form), to the Germantown Historical Society along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope with $1 postage and the type of research you want, or the surname requested. You can enter your information request in the big text area on the form, or enclose/include a separate sheet with the information, and snail-mail or fax it to us. Members of the Society receive a 10 percent discount off the research fees listed above.

Special Collections

Our permanent special collections include the African-American Genealogy Group archives, the Germantown Theatre Guild archives, and the Philadelphia, Germantown & Norristown Rail Road archives.

Hours

Museum & Library hours:

Tuesdays 9 AM - 1 PM
Thursdays 1 PM - 5 PM
Sundays 1 PM - 5 PM

Admission Fees

Non-members $7.50; students $5.00
GHS members receive free admission to the Library and Archives.

Saving Our Stories - Preserving Our Community