Lookups and References: Your guide to conducting Research

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Records of Fairfax County, Virginia

  • Land records begin in 1742
  • Probate records begin in 1742
  • Court records begin in 1749 (Court Order and Minute Books prior to 1749 are missing)
  • Chancery records are available from the early 1800's
  • Marriage records begin in 1853
  • Birth and death records, 1853 - 1897, 1912 - 1917 in general with some years missing
  • Some deed books, early court order books and early chancery records were destroyed during the Civil War
  • Most records (except for the last 50 years or so) are maintained by the Archives in the Fairfax County Judicial Center at 4110 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax
  • Many of the records in the Archives are indexed on 3 X 5 cards
  • There are no restrictions on research in person
  • Hours are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday except holidays
  • Written queries are accepted and copies are 50 cents per page
  • Address queries to Fairfax County Archives, Fairfax County Circuit Court, 4110 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, Virginia 22030
  • The Archives telephone number is (703) 246-4168.

Fairfax County Research Facilities

                              Virginia Room of the Fairfax City Regional Library
Fairfax County Public Library System

Location: 3915 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, Va. 22030
Telephone: (703) 246-2123
Hours: Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday;
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday; closed on holidays.

Resources: The Virginia Room is the central repository for information on burial sites in
Fairfax County. The Cemetery Survey has its genesis with Jane Kirkpatrick-Wall's 1977 gift of
transcriptions of 100 Fairfax County cemeteries. Staff and volunteers continue to add
to this valuable resource, which now records information on over 350 individual
cemeteries. Portions of Cemeteries of Fairfax County, Virginia are available online.
There is a  list of the known burial sites in Fairfax County with links for further information.
                                                         .
There are approximately 15,000 items for use only at the library and a circulating collection of approximately 4,500 items available on interlibrary loan. The collection includes a wide variety of genealogical and historical materials on the local, state and national level. There are several microfilm readers and microfilm of many local newspapers, some being indexed. An index of Fairfax County cemeteries is also available. The index cards to Fairfax County records maintained in the County Archives is availabe on microfiche. The microfilm collection also includes the Federal Census for Virginia, Fairfax County records of all types, state records pertaining to the Northern Neck, and many miscellaneous collections. Unless you are doing original record research, this is the place to go for Fairfax County research.

Lloyd House

Alexandria Public Library System

Location: 220 North Washington Street, Alexandria, Va. 22314
Telephone: (703) 838-4577
Hours: Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday; closed on holidays.
Resources: There are approximately 14,000 non-ciculating items, 9,000 photographs and much original source material. The collection includes a wide variety of genealogical and historical materials on the local and state level, to include bible records, cemetery records, church records and city directories for the Alexandria area. Materials on adjoining states and the District of Columbia are limited. Microfilm readers are available. The microfilm collection includes the Federal Census for Virginia, military records for Virginia, land and court records for Alexandria, tax records for Alexandria and vital records. Perhaps the most unique resource available here is a microfilm collection of the Alexandria Gazette dating from the late 1700's. This is a great source for Fairfax County residents, particularly those south of Alexandria along the Potomac River.

Fairfax County Archives
Location: Fairfax County Circuit Court, 4110 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, Virginia 22030 (on the bottom floor)
Telephone: (703) 246-4168
Hours: Open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday except holidays.
Resources: All of the existing records of Fairfax County are located here, except for those from the last 50 to 75 years, which may be accessed in the appropriate office of the Fairfax County Government. Many of the records have been indexed on 3 X 5 cards, to include vital records, court records, deeds and chancery records. There are no restrictions on personal research. See the section on Fairfax County Records for more information on the records available.
The Fairfax County Public Library published full transcriptions of all of the family burial
grounds in 1994 under the title Cemeteries of Fairfax County, Virginia, by Brian A.
Conley. Copies of the book are available for $18.00 from:

Order the above from:
     Fairfax County Publications Center
     12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 156
     Fairfax, Virginia 22035
     Telephone: (703) 324-4636
     Make check payable to County of Fairfax
     Virginia residents add 4.5% sales tax
     Shipping included in price given above

  Maps & Publications Sales
          12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 152
          Fairfax, VA 22035
          (703) 324-2974

Fairfax County Genealogical Society

The Fairfax Genealogical Society was founded in 1974 as a nonprofit organization. It holds regular meetings on the fourth Thursday of September, October, January, February, March, April, and May and on the third Thursday of November at 7:30 PM in the Lecture Hall of the Henry Thoreau Middle School, 2505 Cedar Lane, Vienna, Virginia. Meetings generally include a guest lecturer, a question and answer period and a social hour. If Fairfax County schools are closed for snow or other emergencies, meetings are cancelled. A Spring Seminar is held on a Saturday in March. This features a nationally prominent genealogist as a guest speaker and many vendors. The Fairfax Genealogical Society publishes a newsletter (ISSN 0895-2078) in September, November, January, March and May. It is indexed in the Allen County Public Library Foundation's Periodical Source Index (PERSI). Queries are printed on a on a space available basis and material is solicited for publication. If you would like to become a member, send a check for $15 (individual membership) or $20 (family membership) payable to the Fairfax Genealogical Society to Fairfax Genealogical Society, Inc., Post Office Box 2290, Merrifield, VA 22116-2290. You should also include families you are researching and their area (state/country). New member information is subsequently published in the newsletter and a complete member list including research interests is disseminated each year. To visit the home page of the Fairfax County Genealogical Society, go to links just below.
    The Fairfax Genealogical Society has undertaken the task of publishing abstracts of the
         family, church, and community cemeteries in Fairfax County (excluding only currently
         operating commercial cemeteries). This six-volume publication is titled
    Fairfax County, Virginia Gravestones.

              Volume 1 Northern Section: Great Falls, McLean, Oakton, and Vienna
              Volume 2 Southern Section:
              Volume 3 Central Section: Annandale, Fairfax City, and Falls Church
              Volume 4 Western Section: Centreville, Chantilly, Herndon, and Reston
              Volume 5 Eastern Section: Alexandria, Mount Vernon, and Lorton
              Volume 6 Master Index
              Volumes 1 thru 4 are currently available from the Society at:
     

  • Fairfax Genealogical Society

    • P. O. Box 2290
    Merrifield, Virginia 22116-2290
  • Make check payable to Fairfax Genealogical Society
  • Fairfax Genealogical Society members may take a 20% discount on the price of all books (include member number)
  • Virginia residents add 4.5% sales tax
  • Gravestones shipping $3.00, $1 each additional book

    • Census shipping $1 each book

Fairfax County Bookstores and Such

©2007 - 2008 Alice Warner
VAGenweb

 

Fairfax County, Virginia

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