Vermont Archives and Libraries

United States Vermont  Archives and Libraries

These archives, libraries, societies, and museums preserve sources, maintain indexes, and provide services to help genealogists document their ancestors who lived in Vermont.

National Archives
Allen County Public Library 900 Library Plaza Fort Wayne, IN 46802 Telephone: 260-421-1225 E-mail: [mailto:genealogy@acpl.info genealogy@acpl.info] Internet: Genealogy Center ACPL


 * This is the second-largest genealogy collection in the United States and the largest genealogy collection in a public library. Its holdings include more than 350,000 printed volumes and 513,000 items on microfilm and microfiche. It has a premier genealogical periodical collection, local histories, genealogies, databases, military, censuses, directories, passenger lists, ethnic sources, and Canadians. They have a great Vermont collection.

National Archives at Boston 380 Trapelo Road Waltham, MA 02452-6399 Phone: (781) 663-0130 Fax: (781) 663-0154 E-mail: [mailto:waltham.archives@nara.gov waltham.archives@nara.gov] Internet: National Archives at Boston


 * Collects Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont documents, photos, and maps of 80 federal agencies, War of 1812, fortifications, coastal facilities, World War II research at Harvard and MIT, federal bankruptcy courts, First Circuit Court of Appeals, Navy, Coast Guard, westward expansion, ethnology, genealogy, Revolutionary War, Civil War, captured German records, territorial papers, censuses, passenger arrival records for Boston and New England, and Canadian border crossings.

New England Historic Genealogical Society 101 Newbury Street Boston, Massachusetts 02116-3007 Telephone: 617-536-5740; Library 617-226-1231 Fax:  617-536-7307 E-mail:  [mailto:info@nehgs.org info@nehgs.org] Internet: AmericanAncestors.org


 * Best overall collection for New England (and Vermont) vital records and probates, and excellent collection for Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, and Europe. The manuscript collection for members-only has diaries, letters, account books, business papers, church and town records, sermons, maps, wills, deeds, unpublished town and family genealogies, photos, and papers of the region's best genealogists since 1850.

Statewide Archives
Vermont Historical Society Leahy Library Vermont History Center 60 Washington Street Barre, Vermont 05641 Telephone: 802-479-8500 E-mail: [mailto:info@vermonthistory.org info@vermonthistory.org] Internet: Vermont History Center


 * VHS is definitely the best research center for early Vermont residents because of their many manuscripts, family histories, periodicals, maps, and family folders.
 * Brigham, Loriman S. Guide to the "Miscellaneous File" of Uncatalogued Material in the Vermont Historical Society: With a Supplementary Index to the Guide. Montpelier, Vermont: n.p.,1969. ; . This card index of persons, places, and subjects includes family histories and court, business, and land records. The family histories listed may have genealogies, pictures, military records, financial family papers, and correspondence.
 * Brigham, Loriman S. A Calendar of Manuscripts in Certain Boxes at the Vermont Historical Society. Montpelier, Vermont: n.p., 1970. ; . This is a continuation of the above guide.
 * Brigham, Loriman S. A Calendar of Manuscripts in Document Boxes at the Vermont Historical Society. Montpelier, Vermont: n.p., 1972. ; This is a continuation of the above guide.

Vermont State Archives 1078 Route 2, Middlesex Montpelier, Vermont 05633-7701 Telephone: 802-828-3700 Internet: Vermont State Archives


 * They have original state, county, and town records at all levels of government from all over Vermont.

Vermont State Library 109 State Street Montpelier, VT 05609 Telephone: 802-828-3261 Internet: Vermont Department of Libraries


 * Large collection of books with many periodicals and a great historical reference collection.

Regional Archives
Bennington Museum Research Library 75 Main Street Bennington, Vermont 05201-2885 Telephone: 802-447-1571 E-mail: [mailto:tresch@benningtonmuseum.org tresch@benningtonmuseum.org] Internet: Bennington Museum Research Library


 * Their collection includes early Connecticut, New York, and Vermont records. It is a great place to find records of families that moved up the Connecticut River and then west.

Brattleboro Historical Society History Center Brattleboro, VT


 * A good regional library with many genealogies, family folders, books, periodicals, maps, indexes, cemeteries, and obituaries.

Brooks Memorial Library Brattleboro, VT


 * A very big collection of genealogy books, periodicals, family folders, genealogies, newspapers, obituaries, biographies, and many indexes to genealogical material.

Martha Canfield Library Russell Collection Arlington, VT


 * They have collected many rare books and unique genealogical sources about early Vermont residents. Call for an appointment.

University of Vermont Bailey/Howe Library University of Vermont 538 Main Street Burlington, VT 05405-0036 Telephone: 802-656-2138 Internet: Special Collections Bailey/Howe Library


 * Their holdings include Vermont local histories, oral histories, and Civil War sources.

Vermont French-Canadian Genealogical Society PO Box 65128 Burlington, Vermont 05406-5128 Internet: Vermont French-Canadian Genealogical Society


 * Reference books, manuscripts, periodicals and microfiche, published "repertoires" of church record baptisms, marriages, and burials. They have a library and research facilities at Dupont Hall at the Fort Ethan Allen complex, Colchester, Vermont.

Vermont Old Cemetery Association Townshend, VT


 * Statewide coverage of most cemetery records for all of Vermont including great indexes.

Out of State Archives
Albany Institute of History and Art 125 Washington Avenue Albany, New York 12210 Telephone: 518-463-4478 E-mail: [mailto:information@albanyinstitute.org information@albanyinstitute.org] Internet: Library Internet: Online Catalog


 * This is the best collection of indexes and original records for "old" Albany County, New York, part of which included what is now all of Vermont. During the 1600s many families which started in Connecticut later migrated into Vermont and upstate New York.

American Antiquarian Society 185 Salisbury Street Worcester, Massachusetts 01609-1634 Telephone: 508-755-5221 Fax: 508-753-3311 E-mail: [mailto:Library@americanantiquarian.org Library@americanantiquarian.org] Internet: http://www.americanantiquarian.org/


 * They have many Vermont vital records, newspapers, and town histories. The AAS is best known for their U.S. newspaper collection of over 18,000 bound volumes 1704-1820, history, genealogy, Bibles, maps, biography, directories, Native Americans, women, canals, railroads, photos, and manuscripts.

Columbia County Historical Society Library Kinderhook, New York


 * This library has a large collection of family folders for early settlers, including many from Vermont and New England. Columbia County is on the Hudson River along the main route from New England into upstate New York.

Repository Guides

 * A Guide to Vermont’s Repositories. Montpelier, Vermont: Vermont State Archives, 1986.  This guide gives addresses, phone numbers, brief descriptions of holdings, years covered, hours, copying facilities, and whether they accept mail-in requests. It includes an index.
 * Basic Sources for Vermont Historical Research. Montpelier, Vermont: Secretary of State, 1981? (Family History Library no.44.)  This guide provides names of officers, addresses, telephone numbers, hours, and brief descriptions of collections and services at six repositories in Vermont.
 * Leclerc, Michael J., editor. Genealogist's Handbook for New England Research. Boston, Massachusetts : New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012.