Manuscript Archives
A Journal from the Rawn Collection
The manuscript archives contains collections of historical records of individuals and families, businesses, agencies, organizations, institutions, schools, churches, military units, and other entities located in Dauphin County. Records include letters, diaries, manuscripts, legal docments, deeds, certificates, invoices and receipts, account ledgers, scrapbooks, yearbooks, newspaper clippings, invitations, maps, and many other types of materials collected through the years. Many of the items are original documents.
Rudolph F. and Mary Anne Kelker
Our archives has over 850 manuscript groups with deeds dating back to the 1700's. We have collections of many prominent Harrisburg families such as the Elder, Harris, Kelker, Cameron, and McCormick families. We also have collections from the Harrisburg Academy and the Pennsylvania Female College as well as records of the many regiments of Pennsylvania Volunteers called to duty in times of war. The City of Harrisburg, Dauphin County Government, the American Red Cross, the League of Women Voters of the Harrisburg Area, and the Bell Telephone Company are other examples of our larger collections.
How do I Access the Collection?
Research requests are handled through our library. If you cannot visit Harrisburg to do your own research, our librarian can conduct on-site research for an additional fee. If you are interested in using this service, please complete a query form to assist us. We are in the process of adding features to our website. Soon you will able to search our manuscript collections from this page.