New York Church Records
New York Church records for genealogical purposes include membership lists, baptism records, birth, marriage and death records. The information these church records provide tends to depend on the denomination and the record keeper. They often contain information about members of the congregation, such as age; date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. Records may include names of other relatives who were witnesses or members of the congregation. Church records are a great source for substitute census records, as they place a person at a certain location at a certain time. Church records are generally the best source for early vital records, as many cities, towns or counties didn't record vital records till the late 1800's.
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New York Church Records By County
- Albany County, NY Church Records
- Allegany County, NY Church Records
- Bronx County, NY Church Records
- Broome County, NY Church Records
- Cattaraugus County, NY Church Records
- Cayuga County, NY Church Records
- Chautauqua County, NY Church Records
- Chemung County, NY Church Records
- Chenango County, NY Church Records
- Clinton County, NY Church Records
- Columbia County, NY Church Records
- Cortland County, NY Church Records
- Delaware County, NY Church Records
- Dutchess County, NY Church Records
- Erie County, NY Church Records
- Essex County, NY Church Records
- Franklin County, NY Church Records
- Fulton County, NY Church Records
- Genesee County, NY Church Records
- Greene County, NY Church Records
- Hamilton County, NY Church Records
- Herkimer County, NY Church Records
- Jefferson County, NY Church Records
- Kings County, NY Church Records (Brooklyn)
- Lewis County, NY Church Records
- Livingston County, NY Church Records
- Madison County, NY Church Records
- Monroe County, NY Church Records
- Montgomery County NY Church Records
- Nassau County, NY Church Records
- New York County, NY Church Records (Manhattan)
- Niagara County, NY Church Records
- Oneida County NY Church Records
- Onondaga County NY Church Records
- Ontario County, NY Church Records
- Orange County NY Church Records
- Orleans County, NY Church Records
- Oswego County NY Church Records
- Otsego County NY Church Records
- Putnam County, NY Church Records
- Queens County, NY Church Records
- Rensselaer County NY Church Records
- Richmond County, NY Church Records (Staten Island)
- Rockland County, NY Church Records
- St. Lawrence County NY Church Records
- Saratoga County NY Church Records
- Schenectady County NY Church Records
- Schoharie County NY Church Records
- Schuyler County, NY Church Records
- Seneca County NY Church Records
- Steuben County, NY Church Records
- Suffolk County, NY Church Records
- Sullivan County, NY Church Records
- Tioga County, NY Church Records
- Tompkins County, NY Church Records
- Ulster County, NY Church Records
- Warren County, NY Church Records
- Washington County, NY Church Records
- Wayne County, NY Church Records
- Westchester County, NY Church Records
- Wyoming County, NY Church Records
- Yates County, NY Church Records
Repositories for New York Church Records
Some denominations have collected their records into central repositories. You can contact the following repositories to learn more about their holdings and how to access them.
Baptist Church Records
American Baptist Historical Society
3001 Mercer University Dr.
Atlanta, Georgia 30341
Phone: (678) 547-6680
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)
Early church records, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for New York Wards and Branches are located at the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
Congregational Church Records
The Congregational Library
14 Beacon Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02108
Phone: (617) 523-0470
Dutch Reformed Church Records
The Archives of the Reformed Church in America
New Brunswick Theological Seminary
Gardner A. Sage Library
21 Seminary Place
New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-1159
Phone: (732) 246-1779
Episcopal Church Records
Episcopal Diocese of New York
1047 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, New York 10025
Phone: (212) 316-7400
Fax: (212) 932-7345
There are also dioceses of Albany, Central New York, Long Island, Rochester, and Western New York.
Jewish Church Records
Most synagogue records have not been centralized, so you must write to the local congregation.
Lutheran Church Records
Library of the Council National Lutheran
50 Madison Avenue
New York City, NY 10010
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
ELCA Archives
321 Bonnie Lane
Elk Grove Village, Illinois 60007
Phone: (847) 690-9410
Atlantic District Lutheran Church Missouri Synod
171 White Plains Road
Bronxville, New York 10708
Phone: (914) 337-5700
Fax: (914) 337-7471
Methodist Church Records
United Methodist Archives Center
General Commission on Archives and History of the United Methodist Church
Drew University Library
P.O. Box 127
Madison, New Jersey 07940
Phone: (973) 408-3189
Fax: (973) 408-3909
Moravian Church Records
The Moravian Archives
41 West Locust Street
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18018
Phone: (610) 866-3255
Fax: (610) 866-9210
Website: Website
Presbyterian Church Records
Presbyterian Historical Society and Department of History
United Presbyterian Church in the USA
425 Lombard Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19147-1516
Telephone: (215) 627-1852
Fax: 215-627-0509
Roman Catholic Church Records
Most Catholic records have not been gathered to central repositories. You must determine the town where your ancestors lived and the parish they most likely attended and then write to that parish. If a parish has closed, the records may have been sent to the diocesan archives or a nearby parish. If the diocese does not have an archives, the diocese chancellor usually knows where the records are.