West Virginia Archives, Societies & Publications

It is a good idea to familiarize personally with just about any repository in West Virginia that you simply might travel to by communicating with to the best suited archive or library in advance.

Most, if not all, West Virginia repositories have written and published content that present its collections as well as research policy.

West Virginia archives and historical organizations usually have On-line sites that provide equivalent details. Several also contain down loadable data for some or parts of their collections.

List of West Virginia Archives

  • West Virginia Archives and History, The Cultural Center;
    1900 Kanawha Boulevard, E.; Charleston, WV 25305-0300. Read here before requesting research , Publication: West Virginia History. This facility consists of the library, archives, and a museum containing materials from 1760 to present.
  • West Virginia and Regional History Collection, West Virginia University, Colson Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506; (304) 293-3536; This extensive collection, outlined in above categories, includes the Historical Records Survey for West Virginia on microfilm along with the largest collection of West Virginia newspapers and many unpublished family papers. A Guide to Manuscripts and Archives in the West Virginia Collection, available from the library, catalogs the holdings.
  • Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston Catholic Archives, West Virginia Catholic Heritage Center, Suite 201, 2000 Main Street, Wheeling, WV 26003
  • Methodist Historical Society/Archives and History Commission, c/o Methodist Archives, Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library, West Virginia Wesleyan College, 59 College Avenue, Buckhannon, WV 26101
  • Braxton County Family Research Library and Archives, 536 Elk Street, Gassaway, WV 26624

List of West Virginia Libraries & Museums

List of West Virginia Historical & Genealogical Societies

For almost every state there is a state genealogical society, a state genealogical council, or both.

In addition to their own work, West Virginia groups many times help coordinate the efforts of local societies throughout the West Virginia.

Their unique publications, newsletters and quarterlies, supplement those created through the area societies.

Regional and State Societies

County, Township and City Societies

Religious and Ethnic Societies

  • Methodist Historical Society, Inc., c/o Methodist Archives, Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library, West Virginia Wesleyan College, 59 College Avenue, Buckhannon, WV 26101

West Virginia Newspapers & Publications

West Virginia Genealogical publications (magazines, newsletters, periodicals, books, etc.) contain all types of invaluable information about specific ancestors, whole lineages and families, places in time, and about all sorts of genealogical records and repositories.

Newspapers

The West Virginia and Regional History Collection and the Archives and History Library each contain large groups of West Virginia newspapers. Many of those newspapers can also be found on microfilm at the FHL.

Periodicals

Genealogical journals provide you with plenty of sources of information and facts, they are generally overlooked by genealogy and family history researchers and genealogist in looking around for family history.

Many regional and county genealogical and/or historical societies produce periodicals which have records relating to the region or vicinity they operate.

Frequently these publications have articles involving records that are not obtainable somewhere else.

Books