DeKalb County, Georgia Genealogy

United States &gt; Georgia &gt; DeKalb County 

Boundary Changes
DeKalb County was created on 9 December 1822 from portions of Fayette, Gwinnett, and Henry Counties. It gained additional land from these counties during the 1820s as well as from Newton County. DeKalb County gave up land to Campbell, Cherokee, Coweta, Fulton, Gwinnett, Milton, and Rockdale Counties throughout the 19th century.

For more information see Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries (Georgia Archives)

Record Loss
9 January 1842 - DeKalb County Courthouse burned and supposedly all records were destroyed, except one record book for the Superior Court. This book is available at the DeKalb History Center. A handful of records recorded after the fire for pre-fire events are also available.

13 September 1916 - DeKalb County Courthouse burned again but damage was mostly limited to cases being tried during that time.

For further information on researching in burned counties, see Burned Counties Research. 

Populated Places

 * Cities: Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Stone Mountain.


 * Communities: Belvedere Park, Candler-McAfee, Druid Hills, Gresham Park, North Druid Hills, Toco Hills, Panthersville, Redan, Scottdale, Tucker, Briarcliff, Brookhaven, Collinsville, Conley, Constitution, Ellenwood, Embry Hills, Mechanicsville, Mountain View, Northlake, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Skyland, Turner Hill, Adair Park, Belmont, Carver Hills, College Heights, Columbia Park, Cross Keys, Edgewood, Emory, Flat Rock, Klondike, Kirkwood, Lenox Place, Lynwood Park, Medlock, Montreal, Nelms, Parkwood, Pea Ridge, Rehoboth, Rock Chapel, Shermantown, Silver Lake, Smokerise, Stonehaven, Sundown, Winnona Park.

Neighboring Counties

 * Clayton
 * Fulton
 * Gwinnett
 * Henry
 * Rockdale

Resources
This article focuses on records created at the county and city level. The research guides for Georgia and the United States should be consulted for additional resources that may be available for this geographic area.

African Americans

 * Register of Free Persons of Color, Freeman record (DeKalb History Center) - provides the names, ages, birth places, residences, and brief descriptions of all free African-Americans residing in DeKalb County from 1851-1864.

Cemeteries

 * DeKalb County Cemeteries (Georgia USGenWeb Archives Project) - Provides a partial list of DeKalb cemeteries along with location information and transcriptions.
 * Cemetery Database (DeKalb History Center) - On-line database of Frank Garrett's 1930s cemetery records for DeKalb County. Records are indexed by surname and cemetery name.
 * Cemeteries Collection (DeKalb History Center) - A collection of photographs documenting approximately 40 cemeteries.
 * Cemetery Subject Files (DeKalb History Center) - Listing of cemetery subject files available at the DeKalb History Center.
 * Find a Grave - User-submitted data and photographs of DeKalb cemeteries.

Church

 * Methodist Episcopal Church Records, 1854-1965 (FamilySearch) - Includes membership, baptisms, and marriages for Clarkston, Wesley Chapel, Belmont, and Tucker churches.
 * Rehoboth Baptist Church Records, 1854-1932 (Family Search) - Microfilm of original records held at the Georgia Archives.
 * Religion Subject Files (DeKalb History Center) - Listing of available subject files for DeKalb County churches.
 * Photograph Subject Files (DeKalb History Center) - Listing of available photographs of DeKalb County churches.
 * Redan United Methodist Church Records, 1894-1994 (DeKalb History Center) - Church conference and various committee records.
 * Covenant Presbyterian Church Records, 1972-1973 (DeKalb History Center) - Church bulletins and correspondence for this Clarkston, Georgia congregation.

Court

 * DeKalb County Superior Court Minutes/Book A, 1836-1843 (DeKalb History Center) - Index of all cases tried by the Superior Court during this time period, case records available at the DeKalb History Center.
 * Index of DeKalb Inferior Court Records, 1823-1859 (FamilySearch)
 * DeKalb County Minutes of Ordinary Court and Inferior Court, 1823-1901 (FamilySearch) - includes index.
 * DeKalb County Superior Court Minutes, 1836-1905 (FamilySearch) - includes index.
 * Decatur City Court Minute Books, 1923-1956(DeKalb History Center) - Incomplete records from this time period, specific dates listed in finding aid.
 * DeKalb County Civil Court Criminal Docket Book, 1957 (DeKalb History Center)
 * DeKalb County Justice of the Peace Records, 1880-1960 (DeKalb History Center) - Contains civil proceedings and criminal suits by multiple justices.
 * DeKalb County Superior Court Records, 1860-1910 (DeKalb History Center)

Land
Deed books and indexes that survived the courthouse fires are available on the ground floor of the DeKalb County Courthouse in the Clerk of the Superior Court, Real Estate Division. Land records found at the courthouse date from approximately 1840 to the present, beginning with Deed Book L.


 * 1821 Georgia Land Lottery for DeKalb County Indexes (DeKalb History Center) - Lottery winners are indexed by Grantee, County of Residence, Military District, and Land District.
 * Index of DeKalb County Land Records, 1821-1903 (DeKalb History Center) - Limited to transfers of 50 or more acres with some exceptions, index by grantor, grantee, and land lot.
 * Deeds and mortgages, 1842-1905, with grantee and grantor index, 1840-1910 (FamilySearch)
 * DeKalb County Land Title Abstracts (DeKalb History Center) - Finding aid includes list of surnames and land lots.
 * Selected Deeds (Georgia USGenWeb Archives Project)

Local Histories

 * The history of DeKalb County, Georgia : 1822-1900 by Vivian Price - Includes maps and an index.
 * Historic DeKalb County: An Illustrated History by Vivian Price

Maps

 * DeKalb County Militia District Map (DeKalb History Center)
 * Map Collection, 1730-2004 (DeKalb History Center) - Includes Sanborn, topographical, state, city, and county maps.
 * 1867 Map of DeKalb County (Georgia Archives)

Military

 * Confederate Pension Applications, 1879-1960 (Georgia Archives) - Digitized images of applications and supporting materials. See also Confederate Pension Application Supplements, 1879-1960.
 * USGen Web Archives Project: Military - Includes Revolutionary War Pensioners Census, Indian Wars transcriptions, and Civil War muster rolls.
 * DeKalb Confederate Index (DeKalb History Center) - Indexed by surname and lists rank and regiment.
 * Civil War Muster List, 1861 (FamilySearch)
 * World War I Service Records, 1917-1919 (FamilySearch)
 * Military Discharge Records, 1922-1945 (FamilySearch)
 * Military Subject Files (DeKalb History Center) - Includes muster rolls for individual regiments.
 * Confederate Veterans Pension Rolls, 1890-1931 (FamilySearch)

Newspapers

 * Newspaper Books Collection, 1919-1995 (DeKalb History Center) - Includes the DeKalb New Era, the Decatur-DeKalb News, the Decatur-DeKalb News/Era, the DeKalb News/Sun, and the Lithonia Observer.
 * Atlanta Journal-Constitution Archives - Searchable archive covering 1868-1942, 1985-present as well as links to microfilm holdings.
 * Selected Newspaper Transcriptions (USGen Web Archives Project)

Probate

 * Will Records Index, 1839-1917 (DeKalb History Center) - Indexed by deceased and heirs.
 * DeKalb County, Georgia Probate Records by Jeanette Holland Austin - Includes Will Books A, B, and C covering 1841-1919 as well as Sales and Appraisements for 1852-1858.
 * Probate Records, 1840-1964 (FamilySearch) - Includes indexes; microfilmed.
 * Selected Wills &amp; Estate Records (USGenWeb Archives Project)

Birth
Statewide registration of births in Georgia began in 1919 and was generally complied with by 1928. Birth records are available only to the individual or his legal representative. Birth records can be obtained by writing to:

Georgia Department of Human Resources Vital Records Unit 47 Trinity Avenue, S.W., Room 217-H Atlanta, GA 30334-1201 Telephone: 404-679-4702 Internet: Georgia Vital Records

The current fees for obtaining copies of the state's records are listed at VitalRecords.com.

Atlanta birth records since 1887 are available from:

Fulton County Health Department 141 Prior Street Atlanta, GA 30303 Telephone: 404-730-4000 Internet: Fulton County Healtlh Department

Marriage

 * Georgia Marriages, 1808-1967 (FamilySearch) - Please see Georgia Marriages for more information on this collection.
 * DeKalb County Marriage Records, 1840-1893 (Georgia Archives) - Digitized microfilm of marriage certificates and indexes.
 * Marriage Database Index, 1840-1908 (DeKalb History Center) - Indexed by bride and groom surnames.

Death

 * Georgia Death Certificates, 1914-1927 (Georgia Archives) - Mostly complete records that have been indexed and digitized. These records are also available from FamilySearch.
 * Georgia Non-Indexed Death Certificates, 1928-1930 (Georgia Archives) - Digitized indexes and certificates that can be looked up by surname if year is known. These records are also available from FamilySearch.
 * Georgia Death Certificates, 1931-1935 (Georgia Archives) - These years have not been digitized but are available to researchers at the Georgia Archives.

Death records for 1935 to present can be obtained by writing to:

Georgia Department of Human Resources Vital Records Unit 47 Trinity Avenue, S.W., Room 217-H Atlanta, GA 30334-1201 Telephone: 404-679-4702 Internet: Georgia Vital Records

The current fees for obtaining copies of the state's records are listed at VitalRecords.com.

Web Sites

 * DeKalb History Center - Local historical society with online databases for cemetery, marriage, land, and military records.
 * USGenWeb Archives Project - A variety of records transcribed by volunteers.
 * USGenWeb DeKalb County - Queries, lookups, mailing list, and other resources.
 * Georgia Genealogical Society
 * Georgia Archives
 * Georgia Archives