Founded in 1892 as a non-profit organization, the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania (GSP) was among the first in the United States to recognize the value of collecting and preserving the vital and personal records of those ancestors whose lives now comprise our American History. GSP is committed to preserving and publishing previously unpublished primary sources. The continuing dedication to this service enables the Society to make an increasingly significant contribution to the cultural life of our city, state, and country.
Concentrating primarily in Pennsylvania and its adjoining states, but also including immigration into and out of Pennsylvania, the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania has research materials available to members through the Genealogical Collection at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP), accumulated by GSP and HSP and maintained in HSP’s Library. Included are wills, deeds, census and tax lists, church registers, funeral, cemetery, and family Bible records, family papers and correspondence, as well as published genealogies, town and county histories, and periodicals. Comprehensive card catalogs in HSP’s library at 1300 Locust Street provide an index by surname or locale for most of the collections. Much of GSP’s collections can now be found itemized in the HSP Discover online catalog.