Washington DC Family History Center

The Washington DC Family History Center welcomes you, and we look forward to assisting you with your genealogical research. We provide access to digitized and microfilm records, books, and genealogical websites. Our all-volunteer staff is ready to answer questions about the resources available in the FHC and give limited research guidance.There is no charge for using the facility, and only nominal charges for copies, forms, and rental of microfilms or microfiche.

Center Contacts and Hours
Mailing Address: PO Box 49, Kensington, MD 20895 Street Address: 10000 Stoneybrook Drive, Kensington, MD 20895


 * Directions: I-495 to Connecticut Avenue NORTH. At first traffic light outside I-495, turn right onto BEACH Drive. Follow until Beach Drive dead-ends into STONEYBROOK Drive. Turn left. Turn left again into the 3rd driveway. The FHC is on the right side of the building, half-way back.
 * Location on Map

Phone: (301) 587-0042

E-mail: info@wdcfhc.org

Website:  http://www.wdcfhc.org

Hours of Operation:


 * Monday: Closed
 * Tuesday: 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. &amp; 7:00 - 9:30 p.m.
 * Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. &amp; 7:00 - 9:30 p.m.
 * Thursday: 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. &amp; 7:00 - 9:30 p.m.
 * Friday: 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
 * Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

2012 Closings &amp; Holiday Schedule:


 * Closed when Montgomery County Schools are closed.
 * November 22 &amp; 25 (Thanksgiving)
 * December 18-Jan 1, 2013 (Christmas)

Procedures &amp; Rules


 * No materials can leave the FHC, including books, microfilm, microfiche or CD-ROMs. Smoking, alcohol and illegal drugs are not permitted anywhere on the premises. No food or drink (except for water) is permitted. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult and must not disturb other patrons.

Upcoming Events
Annual Family History Conference: May 4, 2013

Upcoming Classes
Oct. 20, 2012 9:30 - 12:00

French-Canadian Genealogy, Parts 1 &amp; 2 Presenter: Adrian Gravelle Learn how to research your Canadian ancestors from sources readily available to you locally. This presentation will include those aspects of Canadian history that relate to an understanding of genealogical research of ancestors in French-speaking Quebec, Acadia and elsewhere in Canada.

Nov. 3, 2012 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Homestead Act of 1862 Presenter: Bernice Bennett 2012 represents a pivotal year of celebrations for the American Civil War as well as the Homestead Land Act of 1862. This presentation will explore the significance of the Act and also provide a case study to demonstrate the value of reviewing the land entry case files as well as tracking the entire process required to obtain land.

Nov. 17, 2012 9:30-10:30

Genealogy and Social Networking Presenter: Dr. Margaret McMahon Learn the benefits of social networking for genealogical research, from Facebook to message boards and Second Life.

Dec. 1, 2012 9:30-10:30

Genealogy for Mac/iPad Users Presenter: Frances Seay This class has been requested by many patrons who use Mac/iPad products. Learn about Mac software and iPad apps for genealogy research. All classes are free, but registration is requested: info@wdcfhc.org 

 Classes will be held at the Washington DC Family History Center 10000 Stoneybrook Drive, Kensington, MD 20895

For registration and further information: info@wdcfhc.org  phone: 301-587-0042

Staff Training Meetings

 * November 11, 2012 at 6:00 p.m.

Newsletter

 * Our free monthly newsletter, Generations, is sent via email during the first week of each month. It has timely information about activities and events at our FHC as well as research tips and links. To subscribe, please send an email to: info@wdcfhc.org

Oral History Room

 * A unique feature of our FHC is our Oral History Room, which is equipped with professional audio and digital video technology. This is an easy way to capture and preserve the living history of a family member or loved one. For further information or to schedule the room,call Terry Willard at 301-365-4058; email: FHCStaff@gmail.com

Collections

 * Family History Library Catalog: This center has the ability to order any of the films and fiche available through the Family History Library Catalog. 
 * Books - Shelved by Locality, Subject, or Family Name. Books for each state in the U.S. are arranged alphabetically; each state has a binder containing a Research Outline and other materials. There are books on immigration, church records, census, military, and foreign countries; maps and atlases.

Additional Resources

 * Card Catalog - Items in this FHC are found in the card catalog, which lists microfilm, fiche and book presently onsite. Cards are arranged by Locality, Surname, and Subject.
 * Family Group Records Archives (FGRA) - This is the only FHC east of the Mississippi River to have a full set of these microfilms which represent the largest part of the Family History Library’s collection of over 8 million Family Group Sheets. There are roughly 1991 films, arranged alphabetically by the husband’s surname. 
 * Other Finding Aids - research guides, handwriting guides, letter writing guides for foreign countries, magazines.

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 : Ancestry.com FHC Institution version, World Vital Records; Fold3.com, NewspaperArchive.com, Heritage Quest, FamilyLink, Godfrey Memorial Library, Genline, FindMyPast.uk, FamilyHistoryLink, Alexander Street Press (Civil War), The Genealogist, Historic Map Works, 19th Century British Library Newspaper Digital Archive.
 * Our computers have links to hundreds of genealogy websites.
 * Genealogy software available on our computers: PAF, RootsMagic, Legacy, Family Tree Maker.
 * Additional software programs include: Adobe Photoshop Elements, a software editing program for photos, slides and negatives; and ABBY Reader, which converts digitized documents into text documents.

Hardware and Equipment

 * Wi-Fi
 * Twelve computers
 * Six printers (one color)
 * Two microfilm reader-printers (Canon and ScanPro)
 * Two flatbed Epson scanners (to scan and edit photographs, slides, photo negatives and documents, and save them to a removable drive or CD)
 * Ten microfilm readers
 * Three microfiche readers
 * Chinese Digital Penpad - allows patrons to write Chinese characters on the computer.

Staff Research Specialties
Staff specialists are available to assist patrons in a variety of areas of research within the U.S. and many countries. We also have several staff members who are members of APG (Association of Professional Genealogists). If you have a specific research need, please view the specialists on our website (wdcfhc.org/consultants.php) or contact us to determine how we can be of help.

Special Interest Groups
We are organizing special interest groups focused on specific areas of genealogy research. Working with others is an excellent way to learn new research strategies, brainstorm brick wall issues, give and receive support and advice.


 * African-American research group meets every Monday from 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
 * Irish research group meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday nights from 7:00 - 9:30 p.m.

Additional groups will be formed as requested by patrons.

Resources in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area
National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC www.archives.gov/

Library of Congress, Washington, DC www.loc.gov/index.html

DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) www.dar.org/

Martin Luther King Public Library, Washington DC Special Collections www.dclibrary.org/research/collections

Maryland Archives www.msa.md.gov/

Maryland Genealogical Society www.mdgensoc.org/

Virginia Room of the Fairfax County Virginia Library www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/vr/

Genealogy Events (sponsored by the Mt. Vernon Genealogy Society) www.mvgenealogy.org/PDFs/Upcoming_Genealogy_Events.pdf

Virginia Genealogical Society www.vgs.org/

Afro-American Historical &amp; Genealogical Society (AAHGS) www.aahgs.org/

Links
FamilySearch Wiki, Maryland Maryland

FamilySearch Wiki, Virginia Virginia

FamilySearch Wiki, Washington DC District of Columbia

Volunteer at the Center
Would you like to enhance your family history research skills and share what you already know? We are seeking volunteers to staff our Center and assist our patrons. For further information, contact Linda Christensen at info@wdcfhc.org. or call 301-587-0042.