Washington County, Maryland Genealogy

United States

Maryland

Washington County

Guide to Washington County, Maryland ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Facts County seat: Hagerstown Organized: September 6, 1776 Parent County(s): Frederick Neighboring Counties Allegany  • Frederick  • Adams (PA)  • Franklin (PA)  • Fulton (PA)  • Loudoun (VA)  • Berkeley (WV)  • Jefferson (WV)  • Morgan (WV) See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

General George Washington

County Information

Description

The County was named for George Washington. The County has Hagerstown as its seat and the County was created September 6, 1776. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse

Washington County Courthouse
P.O. Box 229
24 Summit Avenue
Hagerstown, MD 21741
Phone: 301-733-8660
Washington County Website

Clerk of the Circuit Court has marriage records from 1799, divorce and land records from 1776, court records from 1797 and military district. records
Other records may be found at the Washington County Free Library in Hagerstown.

Washington County, Maryland Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1898	1799	1898	1797	1776	1777	1790
Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1898. General compliance by the 1910s.

Record Loss

1871 On December 6, 1871 the courthouse was destroyed by fire. For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see: Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki. Arlene Eakle, When the Records are Gone in the Tennessee Genealogy Blog. Michael John Neill, Burned Counties in Family History Circle.

Boundary Changes

Washington County was created September 6, 1776 from Frederick County and has 458 square miles which contains 3 National Parks, 7 State Parks, 14 County Parks, and numerous City and Town Parks. County seat: Hagerstown Allegany County was formed from Washington County on December 25, 1789. For animated maps illustrating Maryland county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Maryland County Boundary Maps" (1637-1997) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cities
Hagerstown
Towns
Boonsboro Clear Spring Funkstown	Hancock Keedysville Sharpsburg	Smithsburg Williamsport
Unincorporated communities
Benevola Broadfording Burtner Cedar Grove Confederate Hills	Huyett Pen Mar Samples Manor Spielman Trego-Rohrersville Station	Van Lear Weverton Woodmont
Census-designated places
Antietam Bagtown Bakersville Beaver Creek Big Pool Big Spring Breathedsville Brownsville Cavetown Cearfoss Charlton Chewsville Dargan Downsville Eakles Mills Edgemont Ernstville Fairplay	Fairview Fort Ritchie Fountainhead-Orchard Hills Gapland Garretts Mill Greensburg Halfway Highfield-Cascade Indian Springs Jugtown Kemps Mill Leitersburg Mapleville Maugansville Mercersville Middleburg Mount Aetna Mount Briar	Mount Lena Paramount-Long Meadow Pecktonville Pinesburg Pondsville Reid Ringgold Robinwood Rohrersville Saint James San Mar Sandy Hook Tilghmanton Trego-Rohrersville Station Wilson-Conococheague Yarrowsburg

History Timeline

Washington County was the first county in the United States named for General George Washington, who later became the first President of the United States. Washington County lies in the heart of the Great Valley, which extends down from Central Pennsylvania through Tennessee. The county is located in the portion of the Great Valley known as The Cumberland Valley located north of the Potomac River. The lower portion of the Cumberland Valley is drained by Antietam Creek and Conococheague Creek. Washington County has 24 graceful stone arch bridges built between 1819 and 1863.

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Washington County, Maryland online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com USGenWeb MDGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project MDInterment MDGravestones Billion Graves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Billion Graves
See Maryland Cemeteries for more information

 

• A complete list of cemeteries in Washington County can be found on the Washington County Cemeteries page. For more information about Cemeteries in Maryland please refer to the Maryland Cemeteries page.

Census Records

For tips on accessing Washington County, Maryland Genealogy census records online, see: Maryland Census.

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	15,822	—
1800	18,650	17.9%
1810	18,730	0.4%
1820	23,075	23.2%
1830	25,268	9.5%
1840	28,850	14.2%
1850	30,848	6.9%
1860	31,417	1.8%
1870	34,712	10.5%
1880	38,561	11.1%
1890	39,782	3.2%
1900	45,133	13.5%
1910	49,617	9.9%
1920	59,694	20.3%
1930	65,882	10.4%
1940	68,838	4.5%
1950	78,886	14.6%
1960	91,219	15.6%
1970	103,829	13.8%
1980	113,086	8.9%
1990	121,393	7.3%
2000	131,923	8.7%
2010	147,430	11.8%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Federal Census reports available 1790-1930 including slave and veterans schedules.

Church Records

• 1668-1995 Maryland, Church Records, 1668-1995 at FamilySearch — index
• St. Mary’s Catholic Church Records: 1818-1900, Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland by Marsha Lynne Fuller, CGRS. The Church, its history, cemetery, and the poet priest, Father Abram J. Ryan. It includes copies of church records and information taken from Priest’s Journal, 1786-1911, Baptisms, 1818-1900, Marriages, 1818-1900, Confirmations, 1852-1871, and Deaths, 1853 - 1900. (2001) $
• Maryland State Archives' Guide to Maryland Religious Institutions is not intended to be a complete listing of all Religious institutions in Maryland. It was originally based upon the churches recorded by the Federal Works Progress Administration during a records survey conducted from 1935 to 1941. It has been expanded by later acquisitions from religious organizations to the Maryland State Archives.

The following records, taken from its collection, have been digitized and made available to view for free online:

• Evangelical Lutheran, Elizabethtown Church, includes various records 1760s-1960s
• Lutheran, (German) St. John's Church, includes various records 1790s-1830s, including English translations
• Protestant Episcopal, St. John's Church, includes: Parish Registers 1816-1963 (baptisms, marriages, burials) and Vestry Minutes 1787-1873

Additional Washington County church resources include:

• List of Churches of Washington County gives a link to individual church's locations.

For more information about Churches in Maryland please refer to the Maryland Church Records page.

Court Records

• Washington County Register of Wills Clerk of Orphan's Court has Probate Records from 1777.
• Washington County Circuit Court Clerk has Land Records from 1777 and Marriage Records from earliest to 1919.
• Maryland, Naturalization Indexes, 1797-1951.
• Indexed Maryland, Naturalization Petitions, 1906-1931

Emigration and Immigration

• List of imported servants and transported convicts from Europe who served labor terms in Colonial Washington County, Maryland (work in progress), courtesy: Immigrant Servants Database. Includes Richard J. Cox's abstracts of Maryland Gazette runaways.
• Naturalizations of Washington County, Maryland, Prior to 1880 by Marsha Lynne Fuller, CGRS. This is an essential source book for anyone researching immigrant ancestors. Washington County was in the middle of two major migratory routes: the National Road and the southern access to the Valley of Virginia. The naturalization documents include the ancestor’s name, date of birth, place of birth, date and port of emigration from Europe and immigration into this country, as well as witnesses. Records are from 1798 to 1879. This work abstracts text of 1700 courthouse documents and provides an alphabetical listing of all immigrants plus an index of full witness names. (1998, 2001). $

Genealogies

• [Beal] Bounds, Eleanor Poe. Biehl/Beal--Kuefer Descendants. Effingham, Ill.: E.P. Bounds, 1997. FHL Collection.
• [Fuller] Fuller, Marsha Lynne, CGRS. Family Bible Records in the Washington County Free Library, Hagerstown, Maryland. Westminster, MD: Willow Bend Books, Heritage Books, 2003 $
• [Fry] Fry, Ronald E. Andrew Fry (1765-1842) and Some of His Descendants: With Notes on Allied Families: Motz, Frederick, Secrist and Others ... Monticello, Ind.: R.E. Fry, 1989, c1982. FHL Book 929.273 F945r.
• [Ginder] Kintner, Elgin P. Ginder--Gindner--Kintner--Lamb connection to Crites--Earhart. MSS. Microfilmed 1982: FHL Film 1317052 Item 8.
• [Heflibauer] Rohrbach, Lewis Bunker. Hoffelbauer Genealogy, 1585-1993, The American Families Hefelbower, Heffelbower, Heflebower, Hefflebower, Heflybower, Hefflibauer, Heflibauer and Heffelbauer Together with Their German and Austrian Ancestry. Camden, Me.: Picton Press, 1993. FHL Book 929.273 H675rL.
• [Householder] Rogers, Bessie R. The Householders of America: A Genealogy of the Descendants of Jonathan Householder of Butler, Pa., With Families from Pa. and Elsewhere. Salt Lake City, Utah: B.R. Rogers, 1947. FHL Film 517200 Item 4.
• [Householder] Rogers, Bessie R. Householders of America: A Geneology [i.e. Genealogy] of Johannes Hausshalter, an Early Inhabitant of Maryland and Pennsylvania: With Families from Pennsylvania and Elsewhere of Householder, Housholder and Haushalter. Salt Lake City, Utah: B.R. Rogers, 1948. FHL Book 929.273 H816r 1948.
• [Nead] Wurstner, Betty Miller. Genealogy of the Matthias Nead Family in America, 1752-1973. Typescript, Dunbar Library, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio. Copy: FHL Film 1871571 Item 21.
• [Oliver] Rossin, Richard J. "Otho Oliver of New York City and Washington County, Maryland: His Parents and Descendants," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 143, No. 1 (Jan. 2012):5-20. Digital version at The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society ($); FHL Book 974.7 B2n v. 143.
• [Parrott] Parrott, Irma Holter et al. Historical and Biographical Sketch, Parrott - Parrotte Family. 1954-1955. FHL Book 929.273 P249pi.
• [Randolph] Randolph, Blanche Willie Grace and Deborah Ann Kraemer Small. The Randolphs of Prince William County, Virginia. Little Rock, Arkansas: B. Randolph, 1979. FHL Collection
• [Randolph] Small, Deborah Ann Kraemer and Blanche Willie Grace Randolph. The Randolphs of Prince William County, Virginia, Volume II. Winter Park, Florida: D. Small, 1989. FHL Collection
• [Randolph] Raski, Arma, James Randolph, and Glenita Guthrie. Additions, corrections to Vol. II, the Randolphs of Prince William Co., VA by Deborah K. Small.FHL 6075877
• [Rule] Rule, William. The Rule Family of East Tennessee and Extended Points. Knoxville, Tenn.: W. Rule III, 1984. FHL Book 929.273 R861r.
• [Rule] Rule, William. Up-date of "The Rule of East Tennessee and Extended Points." Knoxville, Tenn.: W. Rule, 1990s. FHL Book 929.273 R861r supp..
• [Shaver] Shaver, Chester L. History of the Shaver Family in Washington County, Maryland and Somerset County, Pennsylvania. 2 vols. Clear Water, Md.: Jean Woods, 1980. FHL Book 929.273 Sh25sc.
• [Shockey] Shockey, Donald E. and Thelma Irene Peterson Shockey. The Shockey Chronicles: Biographical Annals of the Shockey Family. 2 vols. Baltimore, Md.: Gateway Press, c1986. FHL Book 929.273 Sh72sh v. 1-v. 2.
• [Shryock] History of Colonel Henry Shryock: Ancestor of Miss Nettie Carbaugh, Mrs. T. S. Montgomery, Miss Sarah Sryock, Miss Lynn Carbough, Miss Elissa Montgomery, Mrs. John J. Klouss, Miss Louise Lemley, Mrs. K. P. Jones, Mrs. William Miller, Jr., Colonel William Byrd Chapter, Wichester, Virginia. Typescript. Microfilmed 1978: FHL Film 1036817 Item 11.
• [Shultz] Bushman, Katherine G. Shultz of Augusta County, Virginia: Being A Supplement to the Material Recorded in The Genealogical Record of the Schwenkfelder Families, Edited by Samuel K. Brecht, 1923. Staunton, Va.: K.G. Bushman, 1974. FHL Book 929.273 Sh92bk.
• [Slusher] King, Hatcher and Alta King. Turman and Slusher Genealogy, 1757-1974: Christopher Slusher Sr., Wife, Eva, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, Fredrick, Washington counties, Maryland, Montgomery, Floyd counties, Virginia. MSS. Microfilmed 1974-1975: FHL Collection.
• [Studebaker] Studebaker Family National Association and Ruth Epler Studebaker. The Studebaker Family: From the Palatinate Germany to America 1736, Our Forefathers Clement, Heinrich, Peter Studebaker. Tipp City, Ohio: Studebaker Family National Association, 1966-. 47+ vols. FHL Book 929.27305 St94sf.
• [Vanswearingen] Daniels, Frances C.T. Some Descendants of Garrett Vanswearingen of St. Mary's, Maryland. Georgetown, Del.: A.B. and R.P. Thompson, 1983. Digital version at FamilySearch Books Online - free.
• [Williams] Birch, Nicki Peak. "Tracking Basil Williams of Maryland and Pennsylvania Through Changing Residences and Multiple Marriages," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 96, No. 1 (March 2008):23-37. FHL Book 973 B2ng v. 96

Land and Property Records

Through a Joint eGovernment Service of the Maryland Judiciary and the Maryland State Archives, free images and indexes of the complete series of Washington County Deed Books (1776-present) have been uploaded to their website: MDLandRec.Net: A Digital Image Retrieval System for Land Records in Maryland. (Requires free registration.)

Local Histories

• History of Leitersburg District, Washington County, Md. By Herbert Charles Bell is a history of the early settlers of the Leitersberg District near Hagerstown, Maryland. This is first rate guide to the early genealogical records of the time and place. Full text can be accessed at Google Books and at FamilySearch
• A History of Washington County, Maryland. By Thomas John Chew Williams from the earliest settlements to the present time, including a history of Hagerstown, to this is added a biographical record of representative families prepared from data obtained from original sources of information. A snippet view can be seen at Google Books.
• African American Manumissions of Washington County, Maryland. By Marsha Lynne Fuller. This is an essential source book for anyone researching African American ancestors. Washington County was in the middle of two major migratory routes, the National Road and the southern access to the Valley of Virginia. The manumission documents include names and full physical description of the ancestor. They frequently include dates and places of birth as well as names of children. Records are from 1806 to 1862. This work is a full text of courthouse documents in their entirety with an index of all persons. $

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Gazetteers

• Profiles for 248 Populated Places in Washington County MarylandFor more information about Gazetteers in Maryland please refer to the Maryland Gazetteers page.

• Interactive Map of Maryland County Formation History
• Washington County USGenWeb Project This site has numerous old maps and/or links to old maps online of Washington County, including the map of the original patent holders of the county, Washington County Hundreds, 1859 William Taggert Map, 1877 Illustrated Atlas, 1879 Ilustrated Atlas, and 1895 County Atlas.
• 1877 Washington County Atlas is an Illustrated Atlas of Washington County, Maryland and was published in 1877 by Lake, Griffing & Stevenson of Philadelphia.
• 1895 Atlas of Washington County.
• Military Maps by David Rumsey of Washington County in the 1800's.
• Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection has State Maps, City Maps, Maps of National Parks, Monuments, and Historic Sites.

Military Records

• A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841. Digital version at Google Books. 1967 reprint: FHL Collection 973 X2pc 1840. See Maryland, Washington County on page 127.
• List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883. FHL Collection 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. See Vol. 5, Maryland, Washington County, pp. 156-159. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.

The 1778 Oath of Fidelity lists for Washington County have been published in:

• Brumbaugh, Gaius Marcus. Revolutionary Records of Maryland. Washington, D.C.: R.H. Darby Print., 1924. Digital version at FamilySearch Books Online - free.

For more information about the Military in Maryland please refer to the Maryland Military Records page.

Civil War

• 1861-1865 Maryland, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
• 1861-1865 Maryland, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

Regiments. Service men in Washington served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Washington:

- 1st Regiment, Maryland Infantry, Potomac Home Brigade, Company E, F, and H

- 2nd Regiment, Maryland Infantry, Potomac Home Brigade, Company F

- 3rd Regiment, Maryland Infantry, Potomac Home Brigade , Company E

- 4th Regiment, Maryland Infantry, Potomac Home Brigade, Company A

- 6th Regiment, Maryland Infantry, Company H

- 7th Regiment, Maryland Infantry, Company A and I

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battles were fought in Washington County:

• January 5-6, 1862 Hancock
• September 14, 1862 South Mountain, also known as Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps
• September 16-18, 1862 Antietam
• July 6-16 Williamsport, also known as Hagerstown and Falling Waters
• July 8, 1863 Boonsboro

• Map showing Civil War battles in Maryland

• The Bivouacs of the Dead: The Story of those Who Died at Antietam and South Mountain. Stotelmyer, Steven R., Baltimore, MD: Toomey Press, 1992. 148 pages. Includes histories, maps and rosters of Antietam, Washington, Mt. Olivet and Elmwood Cemeteries.

In Sharpsburg, the Battle of Antietam took place on Sept 17, 1862. This tragic battle found 23,110 men that had been either killed, wounded, or listed as missing. If they didn't die in the battle, they succumbed to disease or from the wounds that they had received. The little village was turned into a burial ground with the farm of William Roulette becoming the final resting place for 700 soldiers. Other of the dead were buried in fields surrounding this once peaceful little community. Antietam is considered a turning point of the Civil War.

• Crossroads of war: Washington County, Maryland, in the Civil War by S. Roger Keller; focuses on cross-section of the happenings of both civilians and the military with eyewitness accounts of events in Washington County history.
• Events of the Civil War in Washington County, Maryland By S. Roger Keller, Dennis E. Frye;Events of the Civil War shows that War through the eyes of one community drawn from letters, newspapers, regimental histories, diaries, family histories, and published and unpublished archival sources.

Military Websites

• Battle of Antietam: Two Great American Armies Engage in Combat
• Confederate Soldiers Online transcription of 1869 record of original Confederate Burials in Washington County, Maryland, including Antietam Battlefield Washington County Maryland Free Library -for reference only}
• Herald of Freedom and Torch Light newspaper articles about the Battle of Antietam.
• The American Civil War: Battle of Antietam / Sharpsburg

Newspapers

• Washington County newspapers are identified in "Guide to Maryland Newspapers," available online, courtesy: Special Collections, Maryland State Archives.
• The Historic Newspaper Indexing Project had its beginnings in 1980 as an excellent resource for patrons researching Washington County history and genealogy.
• Washington County and Hagerstown, Maryland historical newspaper articles.

For more information about Newspapers in Maryland please refer to the Maryland Newspapers page.

Periodicals

• Maryland Historical Magazine article found on Google Books: "Washington County, Maryland" by T. J. C Williams

For more information about Maryland Periodicals please refer to the Maryland Periodicals page.

Probate Records

Online Probate Records

• 1629-1999 Images of Maryland, Register of Will Books, 1629-1999.
• 1635-1743 Maryland Calendar of Wills 1635-1743 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
• 1635-1777 Maryland Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1777 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
• 1778-1890 Distribution of Estates Accounts, Washington County, Maryland, 1778-1890, Google Books
• 1796-1940 Maryland Probate Estate and Guardianship Files , 1796-1940 at FamilySearch — index and images

Probate records from 1777 are at:

• Washington County Register of Wills/ Clerk of Orphan's Court
  24 Summit Avenue, Room 213
  Hagerstown, MD 21740
  Phone: 301-739-3612

Tax Records

• 1783 Washington County Tax List of 1783: This is an alphabetical index to names to all property owners assessed. The index cards at the Maryland State Archives include county, hundred, names of tracts of land and whether individuals were paupers or single males as provided in the law. NOTE: Although the county name is not at the top of this list, it is for Washington County.
• 1783 "Washington County 1783 Tax Assessment," Western Maryland Genealogy, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Apr. 1991):77-82; Vol. 7, No. 3 (Jul. 1991):119-125; Vol. 7, No. 4 (Oct. 1991):169-174; Vol. 8, No. 1 (Jan. 1992):20-23; Vol. 8, No. 2 (Apr. 1992):65-71; Vol. 8, No. 1 (Jul. 1992):118-126; Vol. 8, No. 4 (Oct. 1992):169-175; Vol. 9, No. 1 (Jan. 1993):23-27; Vol. 9, No. 3 (Jul. 1993):126-131.
• 1803-1804 Western Maryland's Historical Library has Washington County Taxes. 1803 - 1804

Vital Records

Birth

• 1650-1995 Maryland Births and Christenings, 1650-1995 - index

Marriage

• 1658-1940 Maryland County Marriages, 1658-1940 at FamilySearch — index
• 1666-1970 Maryland Marriages, 1666-1970 at FamilySearch — index
• 1778-1860 Marriage records can be found at Distribution of Estates Accounts, Washington County, Maryland, 1778-1860 , available on microfilm through Family History Library.
• Maryland Marriage References by Robert Barnes - free.
• Marriage Records, Maryland State Archives

Death

• 1898-1944 Maryland Death Index 1898-1944
• Social Security Death Index

Research Facilities

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.

• Introduction to Family History Centers
  
• Hancock Maryland Family History Center

Libraries

• Jamieson Genealogical Library
  135 West Washington Street
  Hagerstown, MD 21740
  Phone: 301-797-8782
  Email: info@washcomdhistoricalsociety.org
  Website

Societies

• Washington County MD Genealogy
  Facebook
• Washington County Historical Society
  135 W. Washington Street
  Hagerstown, MD 21740
  Phone: 301-797-8783
  Website
• Smithsburg Historical Society
  20 East Water Street
  P.O. Box 403
  Smithsburg, MD 21783
  Phone: 301-824-7154
  Website
• The Maryland National Guard Military Historical Society, Inc.
  Fifth Regiment Armory
  219 29th Division Street
  Baltimore, MD 21201-2288
  Phone: 410-576-1496
  Fax: 410-702-9060
  Email: historian@marylandmilitaryhistory.org
  Website
  

Websites

• The Washington County USGenWeb Project This site has online records and links to records for historical and genealogical information pertaining to Washington County, Maryland.
• Washington County, Maryland Genealogy, History and Facts (Genealogy Inc)
• FamilyHart Online Database This online family database contains over 843,000 linked family names. It grows by 1,500 names per week, and is updated quarterly. There are many many Washington County names in this database.
• Washington County, Maryland Genealogy Facebook Group
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Washington County.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Washington County. (Backup site)
• Jew's Genealogy - This website contains information on many families from the Washington County, Maryland area.
• "Washington Co.," in Genealogical Sources in Periodicals at The Maryland State Archives.
• FamilySearch Catalog - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records