The Library holdings contain over thirty thousand titles including books, pamphlets, newspapers and archival materials. An overview of the items we hold is listed below. If you have questions about what is available before you come to do research, feel free to call us at 610-272-0297 or email us. Admission to the Library is free for members and $5 per day for non-members.
Collections and resources you'll find in our Library and Archives;
Ancestry.com
Explore Ancestry.com's collections of genealogical material including birth, marriage, death and census records detailing occupations, ages, siblings, birthplaces, addresses, and more – even maiden names. Available on-site only through our research computer workstations.
Newspapers
Microfilm copies of the Ambler Gazette, Norristown Register, Norristown Herald and the Norristown Times Herald are available. Unique holdings of the National Defender, Bauern Freund and the National Anti-Slavery Standard are also part of the collection. Additional local papers are available for research in various date ranges.
Family Files
Comprising over 1800 individual names, these papers have been collected over the years by researchers, staff and family members. They supply a wealth of information for any genealogist.
County Records
The Society houses county records of various types. Deeds (1784 - 1890), births (1893 - 1915), deaths (1893 - 1915), naturalizations (1817 - 1968), marriage licenses (1885 - 1943), taxes by township (1784 - 1935), sheriff dockets, and miscellaneous deed books are several of our more commonly used county resources.
Scrapbooks
Collected from the local newspapers, clippings of a wide diversity from obituaries to important court cases, from family happenings to politics and industry have been preserved. These newspaper scrapbooks have been indexed and are available to researchers.
City Directories
Pre-dating phonebooks, these directories provide information about where people lived and information on their occupation. The Directories range in date from 1860 - 1978. Most cover Norristown, Bridgeport and Pottstown.
Archival Collections
The Society has collected primary resource materials from countless citizens from Montgomery County. Diaries and recollections, correspondence and account books are all items that document the lives of people from this area such as Fornance, Holstein, Matthews and Bean.
Church Records
The Historical Society preserves many records from Montgomery County's church records, from baptisms to burials. Click here to view the church records we have in the library.
Federal Census
The Society has microfilm from every Montgomery County census available to the public from 1790 to 1930 (except for 1890), with indexes. Additionally, the 1850 US Census for Montgomery County was reprinted in the Historical Society's Bulletin. To find out more, follow this link.
Photographic Collection
Local photographs and postcards grouped by collection and topic are available to researchers. Photographs are available for reproduction. Inquiries should be made in person.
Maps and Atlases
When conducting research, it is helpful to take a look at maps from the time period to better understand your topic. The maps in the collection cover many areas of the county. Particularly helpful are the Atlases of Montgomery County from 1871, 1877 and 1893. These are complimented by many railroad atlases.