H-DC / DC History

Local Washington DC Area Research Locations

Department of Human Services
Vital Records Division
825 North Capitol Street, NE, First Floor
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 442-9009
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Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Birth and death records and indexes, 1874-present

D.C. Archives
1300 Naylor Court, NW
Washington, DC 20001
(Between 9th and 10th Streets, NW, and N and O Streets, NW)
(202) 671-1107 (archivist)
(202) 671-1111 (records manager)
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Hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (Call ahead to make an appointment.)
catalog

D.C. Historic Preservation Division
Office of Planning
801 N. Capitol Street, NE
Third Floor
Washington, D.C. 20002
(202) 442-8818
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Hours: Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

D.C. Marriage Bureau
DC Superior Court,
500 Indiana Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20001
(Room 4335 for Divorce Decree or Room 4485 for marriage license)
Marriage information (202) 879-4840
Divorce Information (202 879-1261
Hours: Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
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D.C. Register of Wills
Probate Division
Room 5008
500 Indiana Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 879-4800
Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
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D.C. Public Library
Washingtoniana Division (3rd floor)
901 G Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
(202) 727-1213
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catalog
Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Fri., Sat., 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Sun., 1 p.m.-5 p.m. (winter only)

D.C. Recorder of Deeds
Room 300
515 D Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
(202) 727-5374
Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m.
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Office of the Surveyor
941 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 2700
Washington, DC 20002
Hours: Monday through Friday 8:30 am - 4:15 pm
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Special Collections at the Alexandria Library
first floor of the Kate Waller Barrett Branch
717 Queen St.,
Alexandria, VA 22314.
Hours: Monday - Thursday: 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.,Saturday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Phone: 703-838-4577, ext. 213
Fax: 703-706-3912
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Virginia Room of Arlington County Public
Central Library
1015 N. Quincy St.
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 228-5990
(703) 228-6320 (TTY)
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Phone (703) 228-5966
Hours
Monday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Tuesday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Wednesday 1:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Thursday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives
101 Life Cycle Institute
Catholic University of America
Washington, DC 20064
Hours:
Our office is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday,
Telephone: 202-319-5065
Fax: 202-319-6554
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Fairfax County Regional Library
Virginia Room
3915 Chain Bridge Road
Fairfax, VA 22030
(703) 293-6383
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catalog
Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Mon.-Thurs.
10 a.m.-6 p.m., Fri.
10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat.
12 noon-6 p.m., Sun.

Mary Riley Styles Library (City of Falls Church)
120 North Virginia Avenue
Falls Church, Virginia 22046
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Virginia Room Hours
Monday - Thursday 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Friday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday 1 - 5 p.m.
Phone 703-248-5140

Fenwick Library
4400 University Dr.
Fairfax, VA 22030
703-993-2250
Special Collections & Archives (SC&A)
Hours: 12:30 P.M. to 5:00 P.M., Monday - Friday. Evening and weekend appointments are subject to staff availability. SC&A is open between academic terms but closed during holidays. Communicating ahead of time is always a good idea:
TEL 703-993-2220 * * * * FAX 703-993-2229.
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EAD finding aids
digital collections
"Planned Communities"

George Washington University
Gelman Library, Special Collections
Room 207
2130 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20052
(202) 994-7549
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catalog
Hours: Mon.-Fri., 12 noon - 5 pm
Mon. (school terms) research appointments until 8 p.m.

Georgetown Regional Library
Peabody Room
Wisconsin Avenue & R Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 282-0214
Hours: Call ahead; opening hours vary.
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Georgetown University
Special Collections · Lauinger 5th Floor ·
202-687-7444 · Fax: 202-687-7501
Open from Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 5:30 pm.
southeast corner of the campus at 37th and N Streets N.W
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collection list
collection search

City Museum
Kiplinger Library
Historical Society of Washington, D.C.
801 K Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
Phone: 202.383.1800
Fax: 202.383.1870
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catalog

Library of Congress
1st Street and Independence Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. 20540
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Reader's cards: Madison Bldg; LM140
online catalog

Prints and Photographs
Madison Building, Room 351
(202) 707-6394
Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
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P&P catalog

Geography and Maps
Madison Building, Room BO1
(202) 707-6277
Hours: Mon.-Sat., 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
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Local History and Genealogy
Jefferson Building, Room G42
(202) 707-5537
Hours:Tues., Thurs., Fri., 8:45 a.m.-9 p.m.
Sat., 8:45 a.m.-4:45 p.m.
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LDS Family History Center
Washington, D.C. Temple
10000 Stoneybrook Drive
Kensington, MD 20895
(301) 587-0042
Hours: Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tues.-Thurs., 7-10 p.m.

Maryland Historical Society Library
201 West Monument Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
(301) 685-3750
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Hours: Tues.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Temporary Mt. Vernon Campus Closing - Beginning June 1, the museum and library will be closed to visitors in order to install the new exhibitions and finish renovations. The library will reopen at the end of September and the museum will open to the public on November 16. The MdHS will not be able to respond to requests for museum or library research after May 30. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Details on the MdHS construction projects and reopening.

Maryland State Archives
Hall of Records
350 Rowe Boulevard
Annapolis, MD 21401
(800) 235-4045
(410) 974-3914
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special collections search
Wednesday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday (see below for Saturday closures), 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Archives is CLOSED ON SUNDAYS, MONDAYS, TUESDAYS, the FIRST SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH, and SATURDAYS OF HOLIDAY WEEKENDS. On weekdays, the search room remains open at lunchtime (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.) but the circulation desk will be closed. On Saturdays, the search room and lobby will close from 12 noon - 1 p.m. Patrons must leave the building. During the week the search room remains open during lunch time but no records are pulled from 12 noon to 1 p.m. There is no lunch room in the building for patrons. There are restaurants and a state cafeteria within walking distance of the Archives.

Montgomery County Historical Society
111 West. Montgomery Ave.
Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 340-2974 (Research Library)
Office: 301-340-2825; M-Fri. 9-5pm
Museum: 301-762-1492; Tues-Sun. noon-4pm.
Library: 301-340-2974; Tues.-Sat. 10-4pm, Sundays 1-4pm
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Moorland-Spingarn Research Center
Founders Library
Howard University
Washington, DC 20059
(202) 806-7240
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MSS collection list
Hours:
Library: Mon.-Thurs., 9 a.m.-4:45 p.m.;
Fri., 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Manuscripts: Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 2 -4:45 p.m.

National Archives
Pennsylvania Avenue at 8th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20408
(202) 501-5400
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ARC catalog
Hours: Mon., Wed., 8:45 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tues., Thurs., Fri., 8:45-9 p.m.
Sat., 8:45-4:45 p.m.
Civil Reference, Rm.410; 501-5395 x341
Military Reference, Rm.410; 501-5395 x329
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Materials for these branches are pulled at 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, and 3:30 and made available in Central Reference, Room 203
Microfilm, room 400

National Archives II
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740-6001
(301) 713-6800
Hours: See National Archives listing above
Cartographics (third floor) The division also maintains an index to its cartographic holdings on specific Washington, D.C. properties; copy at HSW.
Still Picture Branch, room 5360
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National Genealogical Society Library
Glebe House
4527 17th Street North
Arlington, VA 22207
(703) 525-0050
Hours: Mon. and Wed., 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Fri. and Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
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National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution Library
1776 D Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006-5303
(202) 879-3229/8
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catalog
The DAR Library is also an LDS Family History Center
The DAR Library is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. May 19, 2002 will be the last Sunday on which the Library will be open from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Beginning on Saturday, June 1, 2002, the Library will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Prince George's County
Genealogical Society Library
12219 Tulip Grove Drive
Bowie, MD 20715
(301) 262-2063
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. each Wednesday except the first Wednesday of the month (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
and also on the last Saturday of each month 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Hours: Please call ahead to confirm.
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Smithsonian Institution
(Washingtoniana photographs and architectural drawings)
Archives Center
Room C340
National Museum of American History
12th, 14th & Constitution Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20560-0601
(202)357-3270
Hours: Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
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SIRIS catalog

Sumner School Museum and Archives
1201 Seventeenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 442-6060
Hours: Please call ahead for appointment
Student records from 1900 are maintained on microfiche at the Logan Administration Building, 215 G Street, NW, Room 105A (202-724-7751); access is restricted.
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The Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC) is a regional resource-sharing organization established by several universities in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area to expand and enhance the information resources available to their students and faculty.
WRLC digital initiatives
WRLC Digital Collections Production Center (DCPC)
WRLC's Digital Collections Production Center (DCPC) is a collaborative facility to provide digital conversion services in a production environment for WRLC member universities. The DCPC provides staff and systems to manage digitizing projects, scan materials, and enter descriptive information developed in conjunction with library staff. The DCPC is being developed with a grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the 2001 National Leadership Grants for Libraries program.
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Also see:
Full text sources online for Washington DC
and
Images online for Washington DC

Matthew Gilmore, June 2003