Live far away?
Can't get to a National Archives?
If you are not able to visit the National Archives or need assistance with a particularly difficult genealogy problem, the staff and volunteers at the Pittsfield facility are available to assist you using our free research service.
You may send your request, limited to three questions or three individuals at a time, via email to
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; letter to NARA Northeast Region, 10 Conte Drive, Pittsfield, MA 01201 ATTN: Jean Nudd; or by calling us at 413-236-3600 or 3604, during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).
While the National Archives holds U.S. federal government documents, this service does include access to whatever we have available on our subscription websites including Ancestry (institutional membership), Heritage Quest (books on-line as well as census), Footnote (digitizing National Archives microfilm as well as newspapers, city directories, other governmental records such as the Pennsylvania Archives), and NewEnglandAncestors.org, the databases of the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston.
To best assist you with your research, we do ask that you provide us with the following basic information for each search:
Name you want us to research, i.e., Steven Philip Nolan
Dates of birth and death, as well as places, i.e., born ca. 1881 in Ireland, d. June 22, 1954 in Lawrence, MA
Other family members such as spouse and children, i.e., married Susan Miller on Feb. 19, 1905 in Lawrence, MA; children Richard, Philip, Andrew, Mary, and Sally all born Lawrence
Please be sure to include a question! For example, I would like to locate the passenger manifest for Steven Nolan’s arrival. I’ve checked the 1900, 1910, and 1920 census for him in Lawrence and found him in 1910 and 1920. 1910 gives his arrival as 1902 but 1920 says 1905. The 1920 census also says he was naturalized in 1911 and I’d like to find that record as well. I’m looking for his place of birth in Ireland and parents’ names.
The research service is free and we will provide you with printouts from the computer. However, if you want copies from the National Archives microfilm, there is a minimum charge of $15 (for up to 20 copies).
Please understand that like any research you do yourself, we will do our best but there’s no guarantee that we’ll find anything!
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