Berkeley County Historical Society

Martinsburg

The Berkeley County Historical Society preserves and perpetuates the history of Berkeley History and the northern Shenandoah Valley. Its archives are full of early Berkeley County material, including church records, courthouse records, land and tax Records, land grants and king’s patent records, maps, newspapers, photographs, and several collections of vital records.

Jefferson County Museum

Charles Town

The Jefferson County Museum holds a wealth of early materials related to West Virginia panhandle and northern Shenandoah Valley. Among its various Exhibits are documents, objects, and photographs related to the Harpers Ferry Insurrection of 1859. Among the Museum’s Local History Resources are account books, business records, correspondence, diaries, land records, maps, newspapers, photographs, and other materials, some of which date back to the the 18th century. Items held by the Museum, including those that are digitized, may be searched through the Jefferson County Museum Collections Database.

John Deaver Drinko Library

Huntington

The John Deaver Drinko Library serves as the main library for Marshall University. It is home to the Marshall University Special Collections, which contain a variety of material related to early West Virginia. There are dozens of Manuscripts collections from the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as W.V. State Documents and Rare Books. The Special Collections also curate the Rosanna Blake Library of Confederate History. A decent assortment of the Special Collections’ earlier materials have been digitized and can be viewed through its Digitized Manuscript Collections.

West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture & History

Charleston

The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture & History is the official repository for the state of West Virginia. Among its holdings are the State Archives, which are made up of both public papers and private collections. Among the go are Original County Records, County Records on Microfilm, Naturalization Records, and State Government Records. Collections of private papers include Manuscript Collections, Map Collections, Photograph Collections, and Special Collections. There is also a large selection of Newspapers on Microfilm. Government records held by the State Archives may be searched through the West Virginia Memory Project.

West Virginia and Regional History Center

Morgantown

Located at West Virginia University, the West Virginia and Regional History Center is one of the leading research libraries for early West Virginia. Its Collections are quite expansive and include Maps, Atlases, and Gazetteers, Microfilm and Microfiche, Newspapers, Photographs, and Printed Ephemera. A large assortment of Rare Books is available, with particular strenghts in William Shakespeare and Mark Twain. Some Public Records are also held by the History Center, such as early Virginia county records, the Historical Records Survey, census records, and more. The History Center also counts more than 4,000 individual collections among its Archives & Manuscripts. These include the papers of prominent politicians, records of the West Virginia statehood movement and the Civil War, reform movement collections, and various groups of family papers. Items held by the History Center may be searched with its Guide to Archives and Manuscripts. Some of the History Center’s early American material has been digitized and is available through its Digital Collections & Exhibits.

Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society

Winchester, VA

Although located in Virginia, the Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society, Winchester has deep ties to the northern Shenandoah Valley, particularly Berkeley and Jefferson Counties. Its Stewart Bell, Jr. Archives, located at the Handley Regional Library, hold various materials related to early Winchester and Frederick County. Some of these materials date back to the early 18th century. Some of these items have been digitized and may be viewed through the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives Digital Collections.

Other State Archives & Sources

Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness maintains a list of local historical societies, public libraries, and museums in West Virginia. Most counties in West Virginia preserve and make available their earliest records; check with county clerks’ offices, especially those with historic records divisions.

West Virginia was at once part of the Commonwealth of Virginia before fifty counties elected to secede and form their own state during the American Civil War. As such, many of West Virginia’s earliest records are held in Virginia Archives. This is especially true of the Augusta County Historical Society, the Library of Virginia, and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. Other nearby repositories also hold early West Virginia materials, including the Filson Historical Society, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and the Marietta College Library.

West Virginia’s early history is well documented outside the United States, especially in the United Kingdom. Archives with significant sources on early Virginia include the National Archives at Kew, the British Library, and the British Museum. Another useful resource is the text-searchable Virginia Colonial Records Project, which consists of over 14,000 survey reports of sources related to Virginia held in British, French, and Irish archives.