Vermont Archives, Libraries, and Societies
This entry was originally written by Scott Andrew Bartley and Alice Eichholz, Ph.D., CG for Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.
Contents
Vermont Public Records Division
1078 U.S. Rt. 2
Middlesex, VT
Mailing Address: Research & Reference
Drawer 33
Montpelier, VT 05639-7601
www.bgs.state.vt.us/gsc/pubrec/referen/index.html
As the state's official repository for public records, this research facility holds an extensive collection of vital, land, probate, and court records for all of the state's 251 towns and municipalities described in various section of this chapter. Research in Vermont should start with this centralized group of records before focusing on individual town records.
Vermont Historical Society Library
Vermont History Center
60 Washington St.
Barre, VT 05641-4209
Vermont Historical Society
Here is the single largest collection of printed Vermont and New England genealogical and historical research material in the state. The microforms room has a growing collection of CD-ROM databases for New England, and online access to federal census records. Their excellent manuscript collection is extensively indexed. Membership is not required to use open stacks and collections. A very limited research service is available, but a list of independent researchers can be supplied.
Vermont State Archives
Redstone Building
26 Terrace St.
Montpelier, VT
Mailing Address:
State Office Bldg.
109 State St.
Montpelier, VT 05609-1101
Vermont State Archives
Officially called the Office of Vermont Secretary of State, State Papers Division, the Vermont State Archives has a large collection of materials regarding all aspects of state (not town) government from the beginning (1777). It is the department of record for all Vermont state government. Petitions, executive papers, confiscations, business patents, lotting plans, and estate sales for state use are all every-name indexed for easy access for the period before 1830. Mail and in-person inquiries are welcome.
While this office is the official archives, it does not hold town records. Rather it technically shares the responsibility with the Vermont Public Records Division, which holds the vital records and microfilm collections of town, land, probate, court, naturalization and some church records (see above).
Vermont Department of Libraries
Reference and Law Division
109 State St.
Montpelier, VT 05609-0601
http://dol.state.vt.us
The library has all federal censuses for Vermont, state and local history collections, and the largest collection of known Vermont newspapers on microfilm. Copies of the newspaper microfilm circulate through interlibrary loan.
Bailey-Howe Library
Special Collections
University of Vermont
Burlington, VT 05401
http://library.uvm.edu/about/specialcollections/index.html
In addition to the church manuscript and newspaper collections, the library has a small collection of printed genealogies and town histories, a fine map collection of the Lake Champlain Region, and an extensive manuscript collection of account books and diaries.
Genealogical Society of Vermont
P.O. Box 1553
St. Albans, VT 05478-1006
www.rootsweb.com/~vtgsv
The society has semi-annual meetings and primarily publishes the journal, Vermont Genealogy, and occasional books. Their former library was integrated into the Vermont Historical Society Library collection.
Vermont French-Canadian Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 65128
Burlington, VT 05406-5128
www.vt-fcgs.org
The society meets regularly, maintains a library of records from Quebec, and publishes the journal Links and occasional books.
Welsh-American Genealogical Society
60 Norton Ave.
Poultney, VT 05764-1011
www.rootsweb.com/~vtwags
For a list of local historical societies, see Vermont Historical Society.
(See also, Massachusetts Archives, Libraries and Societies and New England Historic Genealogical Society.)
