Pennsylvania Chapter, Palatines to America

Pennsylvania is rich is research resources.  In planning your visit to Pennsylvania, here are a few resources to consider.

 

The Pennsylvania “Dutch” country started with a small group of Mennonites in 1710. Headed by Hans Herr, the home of his son Christian Herr (known though as the Hans Herr House) still stands and is the oldest extant building in Lancaster County. (The Mennonites regard this as the oldest Mennonite Meeting House in the Americas.) For more information see Hans Herr House. While little research can be conducted at this site, it is interesting to be where there was an early start. For research, the nearby Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society maintains a library along US Route 30, east of Lancaster. In Lancaster, the Lancaster Historical Society is located downtown. Since 1982, Mennonite Family History, a quarterly publication, has been covering Mennonite, Amish, and Brethren genealogy and family history.

 

In Philadelphia, a major institution is the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. In eastern Pennsylvania, two web sites to visit are the Heritage Center Library at the Kutztown University and the Moravian Archives in Bethlehem.

 

In Western Pennsylvania, there is the Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society. A resource of a different nature is the online references at the Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Century.

 

An online listing has hundreds of Pennsylvania Genealogical, Historical and Preservation Societies which may be reached through this link.

 

In Harrisburg, the state capital, there are many resources.

 

Don’t forget to consult the Palatines to America web site. They maintain a research library in Columbus, Ohio. If you wish to return to the National Site, you may use this last link.