The Archives Reading Room is open to the public on Wednesdays from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-3:30 p.m. by appointment only. If you do not have an appointment confirmation, you will not be able to visit the Archives Reading Room. For more information, read our Visitor Information page before planning a trip to the Archives.
Once you’ve scheduled your visit through No Wait Inside, we will send you a confirmation email before your appointment. Please let us know what you’re interested in seeing by responding to that email.
- Is it a specific document? We can have that ready for viewing. For naturalization documents, marriage certificates, incorporation records, and other records from our online indices, simply provide us with the identification number.
- Is there a topic you’re researching? Our stacks are closed for browsing, but we can prepare a selection of relevant materials for you to peruse.
Researchers can access two collections in the Reading Room: the County Archives (government records), which includes wills, deeds, naturalizations, maps and photographs; and the library of the Westchester County Historical Society, which includes books and pamphlets on local history, maps, genealogical files, photographs and manuscripts. Please review the Archives' online indexes and Guide to Collections, and the Westchester County Historical Society online catalog before your visit; if there a specifically material that you’d like to have ready for you, please submit all research requests to the Archives Reference Desk. Please arrive on time, as we cannot extend research sessions. A maximum of 3 patrons at a time will be allowed per session.
We are still available to assist you over the phone at (914) 231-1500 and email during the Archives' office hours: Monday through Friday, except government holidays, 8:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m. If you have any questions or concerns, please use our Contact Us form for your simple informational questions. However, we cannot answer in-depth queries or requests for records submitted by e-mail or phone. Such research requests require a personal visit, submission of an Individual Record Request form, or the Archives’ staff will conduct Research by Mail for a fee.
The Archives shares a building and Reading Room with the Westchester County Historical Society, which was founded in 1874 as a member-based, not-for-profit agency incorporated by the State of New York to serve the citizens of Westchester County. Named as the official County Historian in 2006, the Society's mission is to collect and preserve books, pamphlets, maps, manuscripts, photographs, newspapers, periodicals, film, video and digital materials pertaining to the history of Westchester County, to promote the knowledge and understanding of that history, and to advocate for the preservation of the county's architectural heritage. Researchers interested in the WCHS’ material should contact their staff directly.
Reading Room Rules
- Photo I.D. must be presented upon registration to do research.
- All personal articles, including handbags and briefcases, must be placed in a locker. The Westchester County Archives and the Westchester County Historical Society reserve the right to examine all materials carried into and out of the Reading Room.
- Smoking, eating, drinking, and phone calls in the Reading Room are prohibited.
- Only soft lead pencils may be used. Mechanical pencils are not permitted.
- Archival records may not be removed from the Reading Room.
- The exact order of materials in a folder and folders in a box must be maintained at all times. Reading Room staff should be informed if a mistake in arrangement is discovered. Patrons should not attempt to rearrange materials themselves.
- Nothing should be placed on top of records. Books should not be leaned on.
- The use of certain materials is restricted by statute, by the office of origin, or by the donor. The Westchester County Archives and the Westchester County Historical Society reserve the right to restrict access to records which are being processed, are not arranged, or are exceptionally fragile or valuable. In some cases, copies may be substituted for the originals. All restrictions conform to federal, state and local law.
- Copies of Vital Records may be used for genealogical purposes only.
- A “Request for Photocopying” form must be completed for all copies made.
- A “Permission to Publish” form must be completed before records may be quoted beyond the limits of fair use.
- No marks of any kind should be made in or on any records, books, etc.
- Alteration, mutilation, destruction, or theft of County records is a felony.
A copy of the Reading Room rules is provided when you sign in to do research.
Photocopying Procedures and Charges
Researchers are welcome to take pictures of documents with a camera or phone (with no flash). If you’re interested in a photocopy or a scan, the costs are:
- $0.50/page for photocopies
- $2.00/page for scans (minimum; price may increase depending on size of scanned material and/or desired output size)
Cost of duplicating photographs is as follows:
- $0.50/photograph for photocopies
- $5.00/photograph if digital file is available
- $15.00/photograph if new scan is made
Records cannot be borrowed or checked out, but you may request copies. You will be given a “Request for Photocopying” form. Copies will only be made by Archives staff or volunteers.
The extent to which copies can be made of items in any collection is at the discretion of Archives staff. The Archives may refuse to copy documents that may suffer damage as a result of the copying process. Large copy orders may not be completed on the day of your visit, but will be mailed as soon as they are completed. Payment is required when the order is submitted.
The making of a reproduction does not imply permission to publish any part of it in any form; please ask for a Permission to Publish form.
Copies of Vital Records may be used for genealogical purposes only. Please see our page on Naturalizations for more information.
The extent to which copies of Westchester County Historical Society materials may be made is at the discretion of their librarian.
Photographic Reproduction
Photocopies or scans of photographs may be requested. A “Request for Photocopying” form should be completed, and the same restrictions for photocopies of documents apply to reproducing photographs (see above).
Records Description: This index covers two collections: Wills (Series 132) and Estate Records (Series 16). Original estate records usually detail the name(s) of the heirs as well as property of the deceased. Some estate files also include copies of the deceased individual's will. Original wills, however, have been filed separately with the Surrogate's Court. Collectively these records (commonly referred to as probate records) have been indexed in this database. Learn more about the types of information available in probate records.
Please note that because our online index only identifies wills, estate inventories and guardianships and there are additional surrogate records available (such as letters of administration), it is still a good idea to check our in-house microfilm index of the Surrogate records in case you do not find what you are looking for in the online index. To request a search of the microfilm index, please submit a Custom Research Request.
Index Arrangement: Alphabetical by last name.
Search IndexTo request a copy of an item that you find listed in this index, please fill out an Individual Record Request form.
Indexing Status: Indexing of original wills 1775-1784 (gaps), 1787-1941 has been completed; however, indexing of estate inventories is in process and so far only the years 1775-1918 have been added to the database.
To request a copy of a Surrogate record, please submit a Custom Research Request. Many estate files contain a copy of the will, but if an original will is available, you can request a copy along with the estate file. Please note this on the request form.
Note about Town names: If the information for where the person lived and/or where they owned property is not stated in the estate file or in the will, it will be noted with "not available". Those entries that have this field as a blank are files that still need to be checked for this information and will be added when it has been done, a project that is currently on-going.
Note about original wills: In a few cases we only have either miscellaneous paperwork about an original will or just an envelope. These have been noted in the database under the first name with brackets and either "No will", "envelope empty" or "will not in envelope". Also, there are a few cases where an individual may have two wills (noted under the first name in brackets by "two wills").
Note: We recommend scrolling through the index rather than using your browser's "Find" function. See our Tips for Searching Indexes for additional information.
The Archives Reading Room is only open to the public on Wednesdays from 9:30-11:30 and 1:30-3:30 by appointment only. If you do not have an appointment confirmation you will not be able to visit the Archives Reading Room.
We are still available to assist you over the phone (914) 231-1500 or by doing the Research By Mail if you are unable to make an appointment. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.
The Archives' offices are open Monday through Friday, except government holidays, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
If you are planning a trip to the Archives, please call or e-mail first to confirm the hours. A photo I.D. must be presented when registering to do research in the Reading Room.
Please review the Archives Reading Room page for more information about conducting research at the Archives.
For departmental research requests, Westchester County employees should call for an appointment.
Also located at our facility in Elmsford are the Greater Hudson Heritage Network and the Westchester County Historical Society, whose collections are also available in the Archives Reading Room.
The Westchester County Archives houses original recorded deed books dating from 1680 through 1930, and can provide online access to any deed ever recorded with the County Clerk’s office via the Clerk’s Westchester Records Online system. These deeds document the transfer of land in the County and can be accessed through either an alphabetical index of grantors (the individuals giving away the property) or grantees (the individuals receiving the property). These indexes are also available at the Archives or on the County Clerk's Westchester Records Online (see the Index Books tab under Land Records).
The text of deeds is fairly standard; with only the names of the parties, the boundaries and size of the property involved, and the price changing. Rarely are specific buildings mentioned in deeds. View a sample deed to get a better understanding of how the record may look.
Deed Records Available at the Westchester County Archives:
- Series 47 Deeds, 1680-1930
- Series 108 Deeds Index, Grantee, 1680-1907
- Series 34 Deeds Index, Grantor, 1680-1931
To locate a specific deed held by the Archives, the first step is to consult the Grantor or Grantee Index. This can either be done by visiting the Archives in person, using the indexes available on the County Clerk's Westchester Records Online Web site, or by submitting a Custom Research Request specifically asking that the appropriate index be searched for an individual or individuals. The more information that is available to the searcher when going through the index (such as approximate years, middle names or initials of the parties involved, etc.) to help narrow the search, the better. This will help limit the number of actual deeds that need to be reviewed.
Recorded deeds for 1931 through the present are maintained by the Land Records Division of the Westchester County Clerk in White Plains. Please visit or contact the Westchester County Clerk's office to obtain copies of post-1930 deeds.
If you have any questions regarding locating or using deeds at the Westchester County Archives, please contact us.
The Westchester County Archives houses an extensive collection of maps and building plans -- over 75,000 items -- dating from 1766 to the present. An item index of much of this collection is available through the Archives' in-house database, as well as other paper-based finding aids. Digital images are already available for some items in this collection, and high-quality scans can be produced for most other items if necessary. Price information for map reproduction is available upon request.
The Maps and Plans collection at the Westchester County Archives includes the following types of materials (dates are approximate):
- Property maps (1766-present) filed in the County Clerk's Office offer information regarding municipal boundaries, sub-divisions and, in some cases, individual properties. An index to these maps is available online at the Westchester County Clerk's Web site (A fee must be paid to view them online; however, they can be viewed for free in person at the Archives).
- Parks and parkways maps (1914-present) include land-taking maps used in parkway construction and detailed maps of many parks. The Bronx Parkway Commission Maps have been scanned and are available online.
- Atlases (1867-1953) of Westchester County, including some insurance atlases. The pages from an 1867 atlas, 1881 atlas, 1901 atlas, 1911 atlas, and 1930 atlas are all available online. See Westchester County Atlases Collection (Series 315) and Sanborn Maps and Atlases Collection (Series 316) for more information about atlases that are available at the Archives.
- Historic building plans of many county buildings, including Playland amusement rides and facilities, the County Office Building, various courthouses, the Grasslands Hospital complex, bridges of the Bronx River Parkway, and others (Note: some access restrictions may apply).
- Planning Department maps (Series 312) depicting themes in Westchester County’s growth and development through map studies on land use, population distribution, transportation routes, for both the county as a whole and local municipalities.
Some of these maps have been cataloged in our online Digital Collections: County Clerk Historical Maps