Call Number:

06

Repository:

Germantown Historical Society

Extent:

31.5 linear feet

Language:

English

Date:

1864-2012 (inclusive)

Creator:

Germantown Historical Society.

Abstract:

Germantown, a section of northwest Philadelphia, was settled in the late 1600s. It is well known as the site of the first American anti-slavery protest, the Revolutionary War Battle of Germantown, and the seat of the National government during the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. The Germantown Historical Society family files, 1864-2012, contains research relating to prominent or long established families in Germantown. It consists primarily of research notes and copies, although there is a small amount of original primary source material in the collection.

Germantown, a neighborhood in the northwest section of Philadelphia, was the site of several nationally significant events. It was settled in the late 1600s by Mennonite and Quaker German-speaking emigrants and incorporated as a borough in 1689. Germantown is sometimes called the home of the American anti-slavery movement, because the first organized protest against slavery in the Americas was begun by four members of the Germantown Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1688. In 1777, the courage displayed by American troops at the Battle of Germantown helped to spur the French to assist the United States in the Revolutionary War. During the yellow fever outbreak of 1793, government officials escaping the epidemic in Philadelphia relocated to Germantown, and it served as the temporary home of George Washington and the First Bank of the United States.

Germantown was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia in 1854.

The Germantown Historical Society family files contain research relating to families of some importance to Germantown, or long established there. Materials consist of genealogical tables, research notes, correspondence with descendants, and written genealogies, as well as photocopies of newspaper clippings and relevant bits and pieces found in Germantown Historical Society's books and manuscript collections. There is a small amount of original primary source materials, such as photographs, Civil War soldier records, and certificates, in a few of the folders. There are several biographical folders for individuals, but in the main these file folders are marked with family names.

The family names are listed on-site in a card catalog and partial paper inventory. Most files are stored in a file cabinet in the Library alcove; some family files are in the Vault.