Most Americans have some familiarity with Constitution Hall. But how many individuals are aware that a fabulous genealogical library lies in DAR’s stately headquarters building? Open to the general public for the meager charge of $6 per day, the DAR Library holds many treasures for those researching family history.
One would expect the library to hold a plethora of volumes documenting the military history of the Revolutionary era. In that there is no surprise. But military records alone are a small portion of the volumes available in open stacks. County record transcript books, including church and cemetery records, are meticulously organized by state and county. In addition to the standard fare, DAR library contains numerous volumes of genealogical records that are available nowhere else. A regular function of DAR chapters around the country is the transcription of previously unpublished records for inclusion in the DAR library. Those volumes are presently being indexed with the results available for on-line search at www.dar.org. But to see what the record actually contains one must visit the library.
Are you interested in the work that previous genealogists have done on your family lines? Look no further than DAR. An entire section of the library is filled with family histories from A – Z.
A brightly wrapped Christmas present couldn’t hold as much promise as the ancestor loose documentation files. A small request slip results in a librarian returning with a manila folder packed with documentation sent as proof with DAR applications for one’s ancestor. The packet can contain Bible records, tombstone pictures, Wills, and other wonderful treasures.
Holding a place of prominence on the basement level is the Seimmes Microfilm Center. One can sit at a microfiche machine and view previous DAR applications submitted on one’s ancestors. Each holds documented names, dates, and places that might fill big holes in one’s research file. The application collection is but a small portion of the Seimmes collection, which continues to grow as DAR chapters contribute reels from the center’s wish list.
On-line data base subscriptions are in the works with additional funds contributed by Friends of the DAR Library and Library Life Members. Comfortable research tables equipped with outlets to power laptops add to one’s research ease.
When a researcher visits Washington, DC, she shouldn’t just choose the National Archives and the Library of Congress. The trip won’t be complete without a visit to DAR Library.