About the Local History Room
The Local History Room at the Culpeper County Library contains volumes on Virginia history and genealogy.
Strictly a reference collection, these materials may be used by library visitors conducting genealogical and historical research on site.
The Local History Room is open during all regular library hours.
If you have questions about local history resources or using library reference materials, please contact Local Historian & Genealogist Julie Bushong by calling 540-825-8691 or email jbushong@cclva.org or Adult Services Librarian Andrew De Nicola by emailing adenicola@cclva.org.
Julie Bushong
Online Research Resources
Looking for online family history records? You can use our online genealogy research resources using the Library’s computers (full access to all platforms) or from home (limited access, Culpeper County Library card required).
For those wishing to research families outside of the state of Virginia, we offer Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest, and Fold3. All three of these historical / genealogical eResources are available to anyone from inside the Library using our computers. While Ancestry.com is offered for in-Library use only, Heritage Quest and Fold3 are both available remotely through our website for Culpeper County Library card holders. Fold3 has a separate link for remote users, which is accessible from our list below of Suggested eResources.
Ancestry
A genealogy database, providing access to U.S. and United Kingdom census data, ship's logs and passenger indexes, vital records and social security death index records, WWI draft registration cards, maps, genealogy reference books, and more. Available only on Library computers.
Ancestry for Virginians
Through an agreement with Ancestry.com, the commonwealth's citizens can access digitized and indexed records and materials representing a small part of the Library of Virginia's vast holdings, some of which would not be available without Ancestry's assistance.
AtoZ Databases
AtoZdatabases is the Premier Job Search, Reference & Mailing List Database including 65 million business & executive profiles & 240 million residents. Ideal for sales leads, mailing lists, market research, employment opportunities, finding friends and relatives, and much more!
Fold3
Provides convenient access to military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served.
Heritage Hub
Provides access to hundreds of years of obituaries and death notices from thousands of newspapers and funeral homes throughout the United States.
Heritage Quest
With more than 4.4 billion records, it delivers an essential collection of genealogical and historical sources—with coverage dating back to the 1700s—that can help people find their ancestors and discover a place’s past.
Sanborn Maps
Digital Archives
The Culpeper County Library Digital Collection is an open access repository of materials pertaining to Culpeper County, Virginia and the surrounding area. This growing collection will contain genealogical information of county families, business records, photographs and other various items. Project made possible by the generous efforts of the Friends of the Culpeper County Library and the Culpeper Foundation through the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation.
Available at the Library
The Local History Room has a variety of research materials for those visiting the library to do local history and genealogy research.
The physical collection of items stored in the Local History Room includes:
- County histories for Culpeper County and surrounding counties
- Information on the Germanna colonists
- Books regarding colonial Virginia records
- Early will and deed records for Culpeper and Orange counties
- Compiled family histories
- Vertical file collection for Culpeper names and history topics
- Large selection of published works on the American Civil War, including a set of The Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies.
The Local History Room has a reader-printer for microfilm and microfiche. Printing from the Microfilm printer is $0.25 per page. The Microfilm collection includes:
- Local newspapers (The Culpeper Exponent, The Virginia Star, Culpeper Star-Exponent, Culpeper News and Culpeper Times) going back to the late 1890s.
- Early Culpeper County court records:
- Will Books (1749-1868)
- Deed Books (1749-1864)
- Marriage Registers (1781-1897).
Purchase a folded or rolled copy of the "Map of Culpeper County" (2nd ed.) by Eugene Scheel available for $25. Maps can be purchased at the library’s front desk, or we can mail you a copy for an additional charge. For any questions, please contact Julie Bushong at 540.825.8691.
More Online Genealogy Sites
- Cyndi's List
- Family Search (Latter Day Saints)
- Historic Court Records (Fredericksburg, Va)
- RootsWeb
- WPA Historical Inventory -follow this link and search the many databases at the Library of Virginia, including the WPA Historical Inventory.
Timeline History of Culpeper County
1649
King Charles II grants 5.2 million acres in the Virginia colony to seven English nobles, including Lord John Culpeper.
1749
Culpeper County is created from Orange County, named for Lord Thomas Culpeper, the colonial governor and son of Lord John Culpeper. George Washington is hired as the county surveyor. (Source).
1759
The Town of Fairfax is established with forty “lots.”
1775
The Culpeper Minutemen organize themselves at Clayton’s Old Field.
1793
Madison County is created from Culpeper County.
1833
Rappahannock County is created from Culpeper County.
1861-1865
Civil War battles begin on Culpeper soil at places such as at Cedar Mountain (1862) and Brandy Station (1863). The Union Army is encamped in the county through the winter of 1863-1864.
1870
The Town officially changes its name from “Fairfax” to “Culpeper.”
1948
George Washington Carver Regional High School opens for African-American students from Culpeper, Orange, Madison, and Rappahannock Counties. It will operate for 19 years.