223 Penn Street, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania 16652
Register & Recorder (814) 643-2740
Prothonotary (814) 643-1610 and 643-5511
Tax Assessment (233 Penn Street) (814) 643-1000
Huntingdon County's records start in the year 1787 and extend to the present day. The majority of the region that became Huntingdon County was formed out of Barree Township that had been part of Cumberland County and later Bedford County. For records prior to 1787 look in Bedford County and Cumberland County. A portion of Centre County formed out of Huntingdon in 1800; certain records pertaining to that region between the years 1787 and 1800 are to be found in Huntingdon. A portion of Cambria County was formed out of Huntingdon, therefore certain records pertain to that region between the years 1787 and 1804. The bulk of Blair County was formed out of Huntingdon in 1846, and records between the years 1787 and 1846 for that region will be found in Huntingdon.
The Estate Files and Deeds are all maintained in the Register & Recorders Office. The Estate Files include Orphans Court Records. A book form Index is available for the older records for each type of record, and the numerous volumes of the Index is kept in the main Office, just to the right of the entrance door. Two computer systems hold a Deed Index; the one maintains records from 1987 to 1992, and the other maintains records from 1992 to the present. The individual dockets for the Estate Files, Orphans Court and Deeds are maintained in two locations: the more recent years are stored in a small room off from the main Office located to the right of the entrance; the earlier dockets are stored in the basement in a room beneath the opposite side of the building from the Register & Recorders Office. In the basement storage room, the Will Books are stored on shelves along the wall to the right of the entrance door; the Orphans Court dockets are stored on shelves along the wall to the left of the entrance door. The researcher can obtain photocopies, but only through a certain procedure which is quite aggravating. The photocopy requestor must obtain a form at the Register & Recorders Office, on which he/she includes name and address along with the docket and page numbers of the desired copies. The dockets are not to be brought to the Office at the time of the request. The required fee is paid to the clerk, and the photocopies are mailed to the requestor a day or two later. In other words, no "same-day" copies are made. Counter space only is available in the Office and in the basement storage room.
The Orphans Court Files are maintained in the Estate Files.
The Tax Assessment records are maintained by the Huntingdon County Historical Society. Researchers are permitted to handle these returns under supervision. Typed transcripts are available, along with microfilm of the returns - both of which the historical society prefers the researcher use instead of the original records in order to preserve the original documents. Photocopies are available for a fee.
Personal photocopiers are not permitted in the court house. Personal computers, which run on their own battery power are permitted.
| Note: The comments in this section were derived from numerous, random visits to this Court House over a period of time. They might not represent everyone's experience at this Court House. They are presented here because certain of the Courts have consistently exhibited ill-will toward both, genealogical and historical researchers. |
The Huntingdon County Court system, although not the worst to perform research in, ranks about equal with Blair County. The employees tend to be unhelpful and unfriendly. As mentioned above, the photocopying process, which could be simple as in other court houses, is made difficult and aggravating to the researcher by being forced to wait for the copies to arrive via the postal system. It appears that the employees of the Register & Recorders Office believe that if they make it difficult for the researcher, they will not be bothered by such.
