Library
Hours and Location
As part of the DAR's mission to provide genealogical and historical information to the Mount Pleasant community, the Chapter has converted a second floor bedroom of the Warden House into a research library accessible to the public. The Library is open April through September, Tuesdays from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., or by appointment.
Holdings
- Books
- The Chapter Registrar regularly purchases books of genealogical interest from various sources, including the Genealogical Publishing Company.
- The Chapter recently donated a collection of books to the Westmoreland County Historical Society. Read the article by Marilyn Forbes about this generous donation in the Tribune Review.
- Surname Files
- These surname files are sorted by alphabetical order.
- Microfilm
- The library has on microfilm the Mount Pleasant Journal, 1882-1963.
- Samuel Warden Collection
- A collection of records belonging to Samuel Warden includes personal ledgers, coal and coke ledgers, deeds, and correspondence during the Civil War.
- Charlotte Beard Collection
- This is a collection of maps, church records, letters, and newspaper clippings on various subjects.
- Charlotte Westerman Collection
- The former Chapter Registrar donated a variety of materials, including deeds, wills, birth, death, and marriage certificates, obituaries, maps, and newspaper clippings.
- Irene Lignian Collection
- Almetta Gay Jones Collection
- Betty Shirer Collection
- These collections are recent acquisitions. We will provide more details as they are surveyed and integrated into the library.
Donations
The primary purpose of the Library is to provide and maintain a research collection. The library collects primary source materials such as:
- Family Records:
- Family Bibles, albums, diaries, journals, old letters, samplers, photograph albums, certificates, old insurance papers, deeds, abstracts, school records, report cards, and well-documented family genealogies.
- Organization Records:
- Membership lists, biographical records, society histories.
- Newspapers:
- Births, obituaries, marriages, wedding and anniversaries, special files of important citizens.
- Cemetery Records:
- Sexton's records, cemetery plots, undertaker's records.
- Certificates:
- Baptism, marriage, naturalization, death, passports 1791-1879.
- Miscellaneous Records:
- W. P. A. inventories, maps, military records, land warrants and patents, wills, letters of administration, inventories, city directories, church histories, county histories, family group sheets, Who's Who and Who Was Who.
Anyone wishing to preserve history can donate to the chapter library during regular hours or by appointment. For more information, e-mail us through our contact page.