Local Research Resources
Explore the history of Jefferson County through our research resources below!
Jefferson County Museum The Jefferson County Museum contains artifacts from the early Native Americans up to World War II, including Civil War relics and uniforms, fine silver and china, photographs, antique dolls and toys, engravings and many other beautiful and historical items. The museum is located at 200 East Washington Street, Charles Town WV, 25414 and can be reached at 304.725.8628 or email Curator@JeffCtyWVMuseum.org
Historic Shepherdstown & Museum The Historic Shepherdstown Commission is a non-profit membership organization that strives to preserve Shepherdstown’s architectural history and promote public education about the history of the town. The Historic Shepherdstown Museum was founded in 1983 and is housed at the Entler building at 129 E. German Street in Shepherdstown. The Museum has a collection of local artifacts and an archives room for historical and genealogical research.
The George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War The mission of the center is to promote scholarly research of the Civil War through the development of a database to store pertinent military, socio-economic, and medical data on Union and Confederate servicemen, with initial emphasis on West Virginia’s soldiers. As this data is collected, it will be disseminated via current electronic technologies and through a series of seminars and publications. Most especially, the center develops educational programs on the Civil War era — focusing on the information stored on the database — for both secondary and undergraduate levels, as well as programs for adult continuing education and teacher training. The center is located in the Conrad Schindler House at 136 W. German Street in Shepherdstown.
The Perry Room at the Charles Town Library contains a large collection of books about regional history and genealogy. The room can reserved for research purposes. The Charles Town Library is at 200 E. Washington Street above the Jefferson County Museum. They are closed on Sundays. To reserve the Perry Room, contact a librarian at octllibrarian@frontier.com.
The Washingtons of Jefferson County is an on-line chronological summary of events concerning the many members of the Washington family who settled in the county. It is based on an interview with John Augustine Washington conducted in 2001 and discusses many little-known facets of the Washington family history in the county.
Berkeley County Historical Society The Berkeley County Historical Society is a focus group dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of history in Berkeley County West Virginia. Its mission is to: develop the Belle Boyd House as an educational center depository for historical papers and materials; restore and protect the artifacts, documents, and manuscripts; write, research, publish and continue to develop architectural and genealogical materials for public access and catalog and document all artifacts and items donated or loaned to the Berkeley County Historical Society. Jefferson County was part of Berkeley County, VA from 1772-1801, so they have many research materials dating from Jefferson County’s early settlement period.
The Stewart Bell Jr. Archives Room at Handley Library in Winchester, VA is a valuable resource for researching the earliest history of the county. Jefferson County was part of Frederick County, VA from 1743-1772. The archives room is jointly operated by the Handley Regional Library and the Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society.
USGenWeb Project is a massive all-volunteer effort to provide free genealogy websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States. The Project is non-commercial and fully committed to free genealogy access for everyone. Organization is by county and state. The website provides links to all the state genealogy websites which, in turn, provide gateways to the counties. Both Jefferson and Berkeley counties are included in the project and since Jefferson County was partitioned out of Berkeley County in 1801, descriptions of both GenWeb county web sites are included below.
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park A visit to this quaint, historic community, at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, is like stepping into the past. Whether you stroll the picturesque streets, visit exhibits and museums, or hike our trails and battlefields, Harpers Ferry offers a wide variety of experiences for visitors of all ages. Discover Harpers Ferry and see if you agree with Thomas Jefferson who wrote, “the scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic.”
Links to Additional Historic Organizations and Resources in and around Jefferson County
The Jefferson County Historical Society
Shepherd University History Department
Scarborough Library at Shepherd University
Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education
South Jefferson Public Library
Civil War Discovery Trail, Shepherdstown Historic District
Civil War Discovery Trail, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association
The Rumseian Society Shepherdstown
Harpers Ferry Park Association
Harper’s Ferry Civil War Round Table