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Lutheran church records in Pennsylvania
German Lutheran congregations were founded across southeastern Pennsylvania in the 1700s. Many original church books and records of closed congregations are at the Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia.
Where the records are
Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia (LACAP)
7301 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19119 · 215.248.6383 · info@lutheranarchives.org
Access: Visit in person by appointment, or ask staff to research for you (form online). Quick inventory questions (under 15 minutes) are answered free.
Cost: $20/day in person. Staff research from $35/hour, usually capped at 3 hours, paid in advance, non-refundable; a single church record copy is $35. Turnaround 2–4 weeks (short) to 6–8 weeks (genealogy).
Source: LACAP – Research & Fees, LACAP – Research Request Form
Ancestry: Pennsylvania and New Jersey, U.S., Church and Town Records, 1669-2013
Online (subscription)
Access: Indexed images supplied by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; covers many denominations, including Lutheran.
Cost: Ancestry subscription
Source: Ancestry – PA and NJ Church and Town Records, 1669-2013 (HSP), HSP LibGuide – Ancestry
Statewide sources for every denomination
Pennsylvania State Archives – Church Records (MG-262) and WPA Inventory of Church Archives
Access: Church records on microfilm, plus the 1937–40 WPA survey that recorded where each congregation's records were kept at the time.
Cost: Contact the State Archives
Historical Society of Pennsylvania via Ancestry
Access: Church and town records for PA and NJ, 1669–2013, all denominations.
Cost: Ancestry subscription
Source: Ancestry – PA and NJ Church and Town Records, 1669-2013 (HSP), HSP LibGuide – Ancestry
County guides
Philadelphia County Bucks County Montgomery County Chester County Lancaster County Berks County Lehigh County Northampton County York County Allegheny County