Wake County, North Carolina
Guide to the history and genealogical records of Wake County, North Carolina.
History:WakeCounty was established in 1771 from parts of Cumberland, Johnson, and OrangeCounties. In 1792 Raleigh was established as the state’s capital. Records for Wake County are for the most part intact. A few of the early court records are missing (prior to 1777) and several deed books were destroyed by fire in 1832.
Repositories:
North CarolinaState Archives
The NC State Archives houses state and county records from the sixteenth century to the present. Guide to County Records in the North Carolina State Archive provides information on available records the NC Archives has on each NC county.
The Archives website provides helpful information about the collections and types of records found at the NC Archives. The MARS online catalog allows researchers to search records prior to their visit. The site also features current online projects covering all areas of North Carolina. The archives also have a nice collection of historical maps (WakeCounty and North Carolina) on site as well as online at
109 East Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
Mailing Address: 4614 MailServiceCenter
Raleigh, NC27699-4614
Phone: 919-807-7310
Fax: 919-733-1354
Email:
Website:
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 8:00-5:30
Saturday 9:00-2:00
Closed Sunday and Monday
Parking: Across Jones St. from the Archives. Parking fees are nominal.
Copies: 10 cents per page for documents,
25 cents per page for microfilm
Staff will make change
Digital photography (no flash) of documents allowed
State Library of North Carolina – Genealogy Services
(Housed in the same building as the North Carolina State Archives)
The Genealogy Services of the State Library of North Carolina houses an extensive collection of family histories, county histories, published abstracts, and reference materials pertaining to all counties of NC. The library also contains information on states and areas where North Carolinians migrated to and from. The reference librarians are very knowledgeable always willing to be of assist.
109 East Jones Street
Raleigh, NC27601
Phone: 919-870-7460
Website:
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30-5:00
Saturday 9:00-2:00
Parking: Same as for NC Archives
Copies: 10 cents per page
WakeCounty Genealogy Society
Founded in 1982, the WCGS is an active society providing educational opportunities and communication among area researchers. The Links tab on the website provides many online sites pertaining to Wake County, NC genealogy.
Website:
Meets on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at:
Olivia Raney Local History Library
4016 Carya Drive
Raleigh, NC27610
Olivia Raney Local History Library
This branch of the Wake County Public Library system specializes in resources of WakeCounty history and genealogy. Has microfilm records pertaining to WakeCounty and multiple microfilm readers available. Microfilm readers also have the capability to download to a flash drive. This branch also has a nice collection of historical maps for WakeCounty and North Carolina.
The Olivia Raney Local History Library is a Family History Library site as well. Microfilm can be obtained from the Family History Library and delivered to this library currently at no cost.
4016 Carya Drive
Raleigh, NC27610
Phone: 919-250-1196
Hours: Monday – Friday 10:00 – 6:00
Saturday 10:00 – 2:00
Sunday Closed
Parking: There is plenty of free parking in the library lot.
Copies: 25 cents per page.
Wake CountyRegister of Deeds
The Wake County Register of Deeds has all property documents dating to before the formation of WakeCounty online and accessible to the public. This website also contains a list of services, fees, and parking availability.
One Bank of AmericaPlaza
421 Fayetteville Street, Suite 300
Raleigh, NC27601
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 1897
Raleigh, NC27602
Website:
Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
RaleighCityMuseum
Housed in the historic Briggs building, the RaleighCityMuseum is dedicated to preserving Raleigh’s past for its future. This small museum is located in downtown Raleigh and offers a variety of exhibits about the history of Raleigh as well as educational opportunities.
220 Fayetteville Street
Raleigh, NC27601
919-832-3775
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10:00-4:00
Saturday 1:00-4:00
Sunday-Monday Closed
Admission: Free
Online Resources:
Wake CountyNCGenWeb:
Be sure to follow the blog on this website to stay up to date on online resources.
Wake CountyHistorical Society:
Wake CountyGenforum:
Wake CountyGovernment: