The Fulton County Historical Society Library is located in the George Ritzert Room on the third floor of the Fulton County Library at 227 North First Street in McConnellsburg. The Ritzert Room is open during the same hours as the library and is handicapped accessible via elevator service. The Ritzert Room is not staffed but is available upon registration with photo ID at the main library desk. The room has a security camera, and materials may not be taken outside of the room.
Naomi Waite (717 987-3757) continues to provide organization and direction in our Society library. No charge is made to patrons who use the room although the Society makes an annual contribution of $1,200 to the public library and so donations are appreciated. Benefactors who would like to help maintain this free service may send a tax-deductible gift to the Historical Society. The Historical Society library welcomes donations of any family or local history material on Fulton County people and events for its permanent collection. Volunteers are needed anytime to help with inquiries and keep materials organized.
Our Collections
- Family history folders with photocopies of genealogical papers
- A cemetery file of tombstone names and dates throughout the county
- Some school and church records
- Census and reference books including the full set of Pennsylvania Archives
- 300 microfilm reels of courthouse documents and local newspapers including the Fulton County News 1899-2000, the Fulton Democrat 1889-1975, and the Fulton Republican 1865-1921; all newspaper microfilms have some years missing.
- Church records
- Photographs
- Microfilmed census
- Wills and deeds
Microfilm Reader
Our library includes a Canon MS-350 microfilm reader. In addition to reading reels of microfilm, the machine can scan newspaper articles, obituaries, wills, deeds, etc. to computer where the data can be saved to disk for printing or can be sent as an e-mail attachment. This equipment is available in the Historical Society room at the library for free use. Bring your own thumb drive if you want to save the information. Funding for the purchase of the microfilm reader came from a federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant administered by the Office of Commonwealth Libraries. A big thanks to Jamie Brambley, Director of the Fulton County Library, who wrote the grant application for this up-to-date machine.