Winchester, Middlesex County, Massachusetts Genealogy

Brief History
Parent Towns Winchester was first settled by citizens of Charlestown who were granted land in the area in the 1630s. In 1642, when Woburn was incorporated, the northern part was included in that city while the southern part remained part of Charlestown. The southeast section was annexed to Medford in 1753. The southwest section was annexed to West Cambridge (now Arlington) eight years before Winchester's incorporation in 1850. Early Village Names Waterfield, Charlestown Village, South Woburn, Black Horse Village (stage coach stop), Woburn Gates (railroad stop) Local Histories History of Winchester by Henry Chapman and Bruce Winchester Stone, 2 vols. (Town of Winchester, 1936, vol. 1; 1976 vol. 1 and vol. 2.) Copies may be purchased from the Winchester Public Library. Military Revolutionary War –History of Winchester, vol. 1, contains a list of Revolutionary soldiers who lived in the Winchester area. Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War I - Winchester’s War Records (The Andover Press, 1925). Civil War to the present - Town Hall database of veterans’ names. Newspapers The Winchester Public Library has the following local newspapers on microfilm: Woburn and Middlesex Journal, Oct. 1851-Nov. 1906; Winchester Star, 1881-present; Winchester Press, Oct. 1900-Dec. 1902; and the Daily Times Chronicle, Winchester edition (formerly Woburn Daily Times), 1971-present. Vital Records The Town Clerk's Office keeps all vital records, dating from 1850.
 * Winchester, Massachusetts at Wikipedia

Town Clerk
The town clerk is responsible for these records, and so most originals can be found at the town clerk's office

Town Hall

71 Mount Vernon Street Winchester, MA 01890 Town Hall

Town Clerk

71 Mount Vernon Winchester, MA 01890 Phone: 781-721-7130 Fax: 781-721-1153 [mailto:townclerk@winchester.us Email] Website

Adjacent Towns
Middlesex Co.:  Arlington | Lexington | Medford | Stoneham | Woburn

Cemeteries

 * Wildwood Cemetery, 34 Palmer St., Winchester, 781-721-7142
 * Calvary Cemetery (contact through Holy Cross Cemetery in Malden) 1-888-919-7926.

Churches

 * Crawford Memorial United Methodist Church
 * First Baptist Church
 * First Congregational Church
 * First Church of Christ, Scientist
 * Hope Christian Church
 * Parish of the Epiphany (Episcopal)
 * St. Eulalia’s Church
 * St. Mary’s Church
 * Second Congregational Church<br
 * Winchester Unitarian Church

Libraries

 * Winchester Public Library The Winchester Public Library has local newspapers on microfilm, some published genealogies, and local history books.

Societies

 * Winchester Historical Society The Society has published books on the architectural development of the town, architects, and local artists and has reprinted five early maps. Research questions addressed to the Society are routinely forwarded to the Archival Center.

Archives

 * Winchester Archival Center The Archival Center in Town Hall collects and preserves materials that document all aspects of Winchester history and the lives of its residents. The collections include primary and secondary documents on such subjects as town government, schools, waterways, public events, biography and family history, architecture, military service, churches, clubs and organizations, industry and business, and more. The Archival Center also houses some records of the Winchester Historical Commission.