New England Historic Genealogical Society

The New England Historic Genealogical Society began collecting books, manuscripts, and other materials shortly after it was founded in 1845. Unpublished manuscripts are held by the R. Stanton Avery Special Collections, and include family and personal papers, the records of family associations, the papers of professional and amateur genealogists, military records, town and government records, church records, and other original manuscript collections. The collections include letters, diaries, genealogies, family Bible records, photographs, scrapbooks, account books, muster rolls, wills, deeds, and other documents from New England, the United States, and Europe.

In addition to manuscripts, the NEHGS Library in Boston holds published works, including genealogies, local histories, reference works, and periodicals. The Library also has an extensive collection of rare books and microfilms, and provides access to electronic resources and online databases.