Historic Records Resources

Washington County was established in 1777 as part of North Carolina. This vast area, designated as the Washington District, stretched well beyond today’s county borders. In later years, the area became known by various names: State of Franklin, Southwest Territory, and in 1796 part of a new state named Tennessee. As the area was divided into counties, the records for that area stayed with the new county. The Jonesborough Genealogical Society has compiled a list of record availability by county in northeast Tennessee with information on how to access those records:

State of Tennessee

Tennessee Birth Records - The Tennessee State Library & Archives holds birth records that are older than 100 years. Birth records are confidential for 100 years under state law. Records less than 100 years old are held by the Tennessee Office of Vital Records and must be requested from that office. Tennessee began requiring birth records be kept statewide in 1908. However, the law requiring records to be kept lapsed at the end of 1912, therefore no records were kept in 1913. Statewide record keeping resumed in 1914. The larger cities in Tennessee did keep earlier birth records: Nashville (beginning in 1881); Knoxville (beginning in 1881); Chattanooga (beginning in 1879); and Memphis (beginning in 1874). 

Tennessee Death Records - The Tennessee State Library & Archives holds death records that are older than 50 years. Death records are confidential for 50 years under state law. Records 50 years old or less are held by the Tennessee Office of Vital Records and must be requested from that office. Tennessee began requiring death records be kept statewide in 1908. However, the law requiring records to be kept lapsed at the end of 1912, therefore no records were kept in 1913. Statewide record keeping resumed in 1914. The larger cities in Tennessee did keep earlier death records: Nashville (beginning in 1874); Knoxville (beginning in 1881); Chattanooga (beginning in 1872); and Memphis (beginning in 1848). 

The Tennessee Virtual Archive (TeVA) is a digital repository of the Tennessee State Library & Archives providing open access to thousands of photographs, documents, maps, postcards, film, audio and other records relating to the history and culture of Tennessee. Visit the Library & Archives Research Resources for additional help finding vital records at the state level.

Washington County, Tennessee

Washington County was formed in 1777 by Act of North Carolina (Laws of North Carolina 1777, Chapter 31). The County Seat is Jonesborough.

*Statewide Registration for Births & Deaths began in 1911 with general compliance by 1927

• Lost US Federal Census Records for Washington County, Tennessee: 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1890

• There was a fire at the Washington County courthouse in 1839.

In-person Resources:

Washington County TN Department of Records Management and Archives located at 103 West Main Street, Jonesborough, TN 37659. Visit their website for hours and guidelines for accessing available materials.

• Chancery Court, 1773-2006 (includes case files, minute books, probate records, etc.)

•  Circuit Court, 1804-2009 (includes case files, minute books, etc.)

•  County Court, 1771-2005 (minutes, judicial records, etc.)

•  Wills, 1773-1992

•  Election records, 1832-1949

•  Inventories of Estates, 1778-2006

•  Justice of the Peace records, 1777-2002

•  Maps, 1828-2013 (includes digital copies and area topographic maps)

•  Marriages, 1781-1990

•  Superior Court of Law and Equity, 1784-1835 (includes case files, minute books, etc.)

•  Tax books & lists, 1778-2010

Washington County Public Library - Jonesborough located at 200 Sabin Drive, Jonesborough, TN 37659. Visit their website for hours.

• Vertical files containing around 1,000 family files and around 600 location and subject files.

•  Over 2,200 books, over 1,900 genealogical journals, and several scrapbooks.

•  Various maps of the United States, Tennessee, this region, etc.

•  Photographs of local historical places, individuals, etc.

•  Microfilm historic newspapers, including the Herald & Tribune, which was established in 1869.

•  Microfilm of Washington County records and church records.

•  Access to genealogical web sites such as Ancestry.com, Family Search.org, and TnGenWeb.org, etc.

Johnson City Public Library - Tennessee Room located at 100 West Millard Street Johnson City, TN 37604. Visit their website for hours and guidelines for accessing available materials.

• Non-circulating collection of regional history books, periodicals, and local genealogical resources 

• Current genealogy magazines that cover the latest in genealogical research and technology 

• State-of-the-art microfilm reader and editions of the Johnson City Press from 1982-2020. The microfilm reader is also available to view your own films or films from other libraries. 

The Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee & Southwest Virginia is located at 212 East Sabin Drive, Jonesborough, TN 37659. Visit their website for hours and guidelines for accessing available materials. The Heritage Alliance collects artifacts, documents, photographs and ephemera ranging in date from 1768 through present day. Featuring over 6000 records, their collection includes:

• Extensive photographic collection spanning from 1850 through present day, including photographs from early Jonesborough photographers L. W. Keen and O. L. Hensley.

• Significant 19th century Jonesborough newspapers, including most editions of the Herald & Tribune, Jonesborough’s weekly paper since 1869.

• Jonesborough Sanborn Fire Maps from 1888, 1892, 1907, 1913, 1924 and 1939.

• Business correspondence, ledgers and other records pertaining to Washington County and Jonesborough, Tennessee businesses.

• Family correspondence and ephemera, as well as records from various Jonesborough social clubs.

• Records pertaining to the creation of the Historic District and the Preservation movement in Jonesborough.

Archives of Appalachia- East Tennessee State University 

Charles Sherrod Library- East Tennessee State University 

Online Resources:

Washington County TN Department of Records Management and Archives 

Washington County Public Library Virtual Archive

TNGenWeb Project - Washington County

Learn more about the History of Washington County, Tennessee on the Washington County website and the Tennessee Encyclopedia.