Historical Resources from Archives & Records Services

The Chester County Recorder of Deeds office has a long history of faithfully serving the residents of this county. It recorded its first deed in 1688. Centuries later, the separate Chester County Archives department was established in 1982 to preserve and make available the historic records of Chester County. In 1985, the department was renamed Chester County Archives & Record Services and expanded to include records management responsibilities. In recent years, the Recorder of Deeds and Archives and Records Services worked together on the conservation of one hundred early deed books in the Archives collection.

Archives & Record Services currently holds over 2,940 volumes and 1,823 cubic feet of original public records of enduring historic and cultural value. These records include Chester County Deed Books up to 1918. Serving over 3,000 researchers a year, the archives are a primary destination for genealogists, property researchers, local historians and academics researching all facets of Chester County history. The Chester County Archives is administered by the Chester County Historical Society in cooperation with the County of Chester.

Chester County Archives staff has produced a tutorial on how to access early Chester County maps and deed books online. You can watch the video below.

Click here to access the Archives Property Research Guide referenced in the video. A guide to research southern Chester County was recently added. Additionally, land record indexes (including deeds 1688-1865) can be accessed here.

If you have additional questions about historic property research and how to interpret old deeds, please contact the Archives Department. Calling the Recorder of Deeds office with these types of inquiries will get you redirected to the Archives Department.