MGRL Genealogical and Historical Room

The Genealogical and Historical Room has one of the most outstanding reference collections of its type in the South. It was founded in 1923 by the Mary Hammond Washington Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, who realized the need for the library to provide source material and assistance for people tracing their lineage and searching for facts about their ancestors. They also believed that certain old and irreplaceable records of local and regional history should be preserved for the future and made available for researchers.

Starting with a small but valuable collection given by the James Hyde Porter family and housed in part of a small room, the Genealogical and Historical Room has grown to include more than 32,000 volumes and over 24,000 microforms. Located on the ground floor of the Washington Memorial Library, it is considered outstanding by genealogists and historians from all over the United States. Last year, over 13,000 researchers came from 38 states and 5 foreign countries to use the facilities. Considerable space is devoted to pre-colonial history as well as to colonial history and the Revolutionary War.