MORTGAGE INDEXES      1772-1973, 1974-1989, 1990-present.
        Mortgage Books                    1-449; Record Books 601

REGISTER OF WILLS

        WILL INDEXES        1772-1930, 1930-1987, 1987-present
        Will Books                   1-59
        [Also original estate documents including wills, property inventories, vendues, etc.]

CLERK OF ORPHANS' COURT

        INDEX        1772-1930, 1930-1987, 1987-present.
        Dockets        1-67

        MARRIAGE INDEX (Male and Female)    1885 - present
        Marriage Dockets 1-113, 1885-1987; 114 - , 1987 - present

        DELAYED BIRTH CERTIFICATE BOOKS        1869-1906
            Birth Docket 1852-1853 (10/7/1852 - 3/12/1853)
            Death Docket    1852-1855 (7/5/1853 - 3/9/1855)
            Marriage Docket 1852-1854 (12/4/1852 - 2/9/1854)

        BIRTH RECORDS  2 Volumes 1893-1905
        DEATH RECORDS 2 Volumes 1893-1905

Also Charter Books, some Military Records and a huge wall map of the count by Cummings, 1858.

        CIVIL COURT RECORDS
                Appearnce Dockets
                Execution Dockets
                Original Papers Filed

        QUARTER SESSIONS RECORDS

        SHERIFFS' DEED BOOKS

        FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAMES

Most records date from the founding of the County in 1772.

Court House Hours:  Monday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
                         Tuesday - Friday 9:00 am - 4:30 pm
 
Copies:  25 cents each ($5.00 minimum on mailouts) in Mr. Reed's office

Some Additional Tips:
 
Mr. Reed and his staff are very friendly and helpful.  They will assist with locating records and with the various indexing schemes employed for the court records. Recent indexes have been computerized and some indexes have been microfilmed.

Older records are stored in the Court House basement.  These vaults were originally used as jail cells; they are very cramped and very dirty (especially the Prothonotary vault).  WEAR OLD CLOTHES.

Deed Registers and Prothonotary Dockets are quite large books and are VERY HEAVY.  A cart is available in Mr. Reed's office and an elevator is availble for transporting books from the basement to the first floor for copying.

All records in the Register and Recorders Office and most in the Prothonotary Office are open to the public and are hands-on.

The only public entrance to the Court House is at the front main doors. The Court House is generally handicap accessable, although some of the basement vaults may not be.  The Register and Recorder's Office is located on the first floor at the far end of the hall on the right.  The Prothonotary Office is directly opposite on the left.

A security guard and scanner are stationed just inside the entrance.  Computers and cameras are permitted (but weapons and bombs will probably have to be checked at the door.)

Two-hour metered parking is provided in a public lot at the back of the Court House and also on the streets around the town square.  [Tip:  take plenty of nickles and dimes which are cheaper than using quarters.]