HOW AND WHERE TO LOOK IT UP
RESOURCES FOR RESEARCHING THE HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA. ©2001
William D. Theriault, Ph.D.
17434 Virginia Ave.
Hagerstown, MD 21740
WMTheriault@myactv.net
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How Do I ...?
Brief Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

For additional information on the sources cited here, consult the Table of Contents and the Index, or search the Bibliography database on CD.

Find out when my house was built?
If you live in an incorporated area, you may find the information on Sanborn insurance maps (see Chapter 13), which were published from the late 1890's to the 1930's. Several other maps are available for each of the municipalities, but they often show only lots, not structures. The S. Howell Brown maps of Jefferson County for 1852, 1862, and 1883 contain property boundaries, landowners’ names, and the location of the primary residence. Varle’s 1809 map not only lacks detail but also
is selective in what is recorded; people who didn’t pay to be on it were usually excluded.

Michael Thompson’s Calendar of Jefferson County Plats. 1801-1900, lists plats recorded with deeds. The abstracts sometimes make reference to the location of buildings. Wills, deeds, and tax records may indicate the presence of structures on the property, although they may not be the same ones that are currently standing.

Newspapers often provide other clues. Portions of some papers have been abstracted and are available on the Explorer: West Virginia History Database CD. Many older homes have been discussed in the volumes of the Magazine of the Jefferson County Historical Society. Find out who the original owner of my property was?

Start with the Fairfax Grant maps in the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office. These consist of U.S. Geological Survey maps and transparent overlays showing the boundaries of each grant. Locate your property and note the reference number for your grant. Refer to the typed index to find the property owner, number of acres, date of grant, and deed book reference. The text of most Jefferson County land grants is available in the Explorer Database.

Locate vital statistics about my Jefferson County ancestors?
First, try to get a general idea of when they arrived and how long they stayed. Jefferson County was not formed until 1801 and was previously part of Berkeley (since 1772), Frederick (since 1738), Orange (since 1734), and Spottsylvania (since 1720). Birth, death, and marriage records for these counties (when they still exist) are available on microfilm. Birth and death records for Jefferson County are not available before 1853. (See Chapter 3 for details.)

Tombstone inscriptions have been collected and published in several volumes, including the Bee Line chapter, DAR, Tombstone Inscriptions. Jefferson County, WV (1981); Hugh Vorees’ supplement to this work (Burials in Jefferson County, West Virginia, 1978-1998 [1998]), and issues of the Magazine of the Jefferson County Historical Society. (See Chapter 9 for additional information.)

Census records may also be useful, providing the age (in years) of family members when the census was taken. Census records are available for all decades up to 1920 on microfilm, except 1890. Local microfilm repositories include the Berkeley County Historical Society, Martinsburg Public Library, Shepherd College, and the library at Harpers Ferry National Historic Park. (See Chapter 3 for more census information.)

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