Fairview Pennsylvania Family History Center

The Fairview Pennsylvania Family History Center is dedicated to providing education and support for the family history community in the Fairview area. The Family History Center is open to the public, who are invited to use the resources free of charge. Anyone interested in learning more about their family history, including doing research to find ancestors, is welcome and encouraged to come to the center. Trained volunteers are available during Center hours and by appointment to assist patrons. Although our center is small, it is jam-packed with information to assist you in finding your family history.

Center Contacts and Hours
Location Map:


 * Location of Fairview Pennsylvania Family History Center on Map

Address:
 * 11887 Mentzer Gap Road Waynesboro, PA 17268-9345 United States
 * Our center is located at the intersection of Mentzer Gap and Old Forge Roads in Waynesboro, Pa.


 * Language: English

Phone:1- 717-762-2268

E-mail:


 * PA_Fairview@familyhistorymail.org

Open Hours:


 * Wednesday: 6:30 - 8:30pm

Closed 1st Saturday of April & October
 * Thursday: 6:00 - 8:00pm
 * Saturday: 11:00am - 2:00pm

Holiday Schedule:

Closed all major holidays


 * The center will not be open during inclement weather so be sure to call us to make sure someone will be there to greet you.

Databases and Software

 * FHC Portal This center has access to the Family History Center Portal page which gives free access in the center to premium family history software and websites that generally charge for subscriptions.
 * 19th Centry British Library Newspaper Digital Archive
 * Access Newspaper Archive
 * Alexander Street Press - The American Civil War
 * Ancestry.com
 * ArkivDigital Online - Swedish Genealogy
 * Findmypast
 * Fold3.com (previously known as Footnote.com)
 * The Genealogist
 * Godfrey Memorial Library
 * Hertiage Quest Online
 * Historic Map Works Library Edition
 * Paper Trail
 * World Vital Records

Hardware and Equipment
We have new computers to allow you to access your internet research through FamilySearch.org and free access to Ancestry.com and other premium sites. The FamilySearch Catalog allows you to see if microfilms from the Family History Library Catalog are available at local Family History Centers. Microfilms can no longer be ordered.

Center Services
Provide 1-on-1 family history training, assistance and support

Offer Family History classes

Provide other family history resources and materials

Collections
We have a long and interesting past in our area with a large collection of family histories, local cemeteries and funeral home records and many Franklin County records in books and on microfilm. We have one of the largest obituary files in the state compiled by volunteers who diligently clip obituaries every day

Family Tree

 * Family Tree

Family Tree Training

 * Family Tree Training

Introduction to FamilySearch Tree:

 * Introduction to Family Tree

Online Forms

 * Pedigree Chart
 * Family Group Record Chart

Online Training Courses

 * How to Start Your Family History - 6 Basic Steps

Online Research Training Videos

 * Learning Center Home Page and Index of all Research Training Videos

The following list is just a sampling of many of the ResearchTraining Videos that are available from the above link at the Learning Center Home page.


 * England and UK Research
 * Getting Started in Genealogy
 * England and Wales Census Records 1841-1911 Indexes


 * Basic French Research


 * Scandinavian Research


 * German Research
 * Basic Research
 * Beginning Research - Lesson 1
 * Beginning Research - Lesson 2


 * Ireland Research
 * Church Records
 * Civil Registration


 * Italian Research
 * Italian Research Training Videos
 * Basic Italian Research


 * Latin American


 * United States
 * United States Research Training Videos

Online Training Videos

 * 5 Minute Genealogy Videos Series . This video series is all about helping you quickly discover your family history. Each episode will guide you through basic research principles that will help you have success finding your ancestors.
 * Getting help at a Family History Center
 * 5 Minute Genealogy Videos Series

Resources in the Local Area

 * Erie County Wiki Homepage
 * Pennsylvania Wiki Homepage
 * Fairview, Pennsylvaina Homepage
 * Waynesboro, Pennsylvania Homepage
 * Pennsylvania GenWeb Project
 * Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania
 * Erie County Home Page

Links
Online Genealogy Records by Location
 * Using the FamilySearch Research Wiki: A comprehensive video presentation explaining the Wiki, navigating it, and some especially useful pages. Case studies demonstrate using the Wiki for genealogical research. Editing and adding articles to the Wiki are covered.
 * Journals, Diaries, Biographies, Autobiographies and Letters of Some Early Mormons and Others Who Knew Joseph Smith, Jr. and/or His Contemporaries

National Links

 * National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC
 * Library of Congress, Washington, DC
 * Daughters of the American Revolution
 * Martin Luther King Public Library, Washington DC Special Collections

Other Family History and Library Centers and Resources

 * Billiongraves.com
 * Find A Grave
 * BYU Center for Family History and Genealogy
 * BYU Family History Library
 * Logan Utah Family History Center
 * Mesa Arizona Family History Center
 * Research WIKI
 * Riverton Utah Family History Center
 * Salt Lake City Family History Library
 * Utah South Area Family History Training Center

Volunteer at the Center - Come join our Staff
Would you like to learn more about Family History? Those who serve always learn the most!

Family Search Blog
A terrific resource to keep up on what is going on and available in Family Search FamilySearch Blog

Let’s Get Acquainted with the Family Search Wiki (WIK-ee)
Family Search users don’t always think to look at this valuable tool because they aren’t sure what it is and how valuable it can be to our research efforts. So, in Family Search’s words: “The FamilySearch Wiki is not about finding the names of your ancestors. It is not, in fact, about finding people at all.


 * The Wiki is about finding records that may have been generated about your ancestors and the places in which the records might be found
 * It is a vast record depository of the paper trail that people leave behind long after they are gone.
 * The Wiki has records from the United States as well as from 244 countries.
 * Here you will be able to find documents such as census records, marriage records, birth records and death records and much more.
 * Probate documents are often very informative and may help you in your search. There is an extensive list of United States military records on the Wiki.”

Recently a friend in Illinois went into the FamilySearch Wiki and found phone numbers for the Surrogate Court in New York that held wills. She found six missing wills!

Take time to explore the opening page of this site there are tutorials and examples and lots of help in learning the Wiki. Got stuck in your research? Look to the Wiki for help. How do I find the FamilySearch Wiki? Open FamilySearch.org, navigate to Search at top of page and click on it to open. Select Research Wiki from the dropdown menu.

Family Search Apps for Smart Phones and Tablets
FamilySearch Apps