Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Archives safe and sound
Some records at the Chester County Archives & Records Services department date back to 1681
WEST GOSHEN » It’s all there in black and white, along with some of which is stored digitally.
The estate of Rebecca Lukens, owner and operator of the iron and steel mill that became Lukens Steel, was valued at $106,119.33, following her death in 1854.
The value of almost everything Lukens owned was catalogued. Those records are available at the Chester County Archives & Records Services department at the Government Services Center.
The public can see that a Lukens sofa was valued at $8, a clock was worth $8 and a mattress and bed stands were valued at $25.
But that’s only a very small part of the archives stored in the basement. The temperature (about 65 degrees Fahrenheit) and humidity (35 to 40 percent) keep 2,655 volumes and 1,779 cubic feet of original public records safe.
More than 3,200 times a year, research performed by genealogists, property researchers, local historians and academics tells the story of the county’s history.
A partnership was created in 1982, with the Chester County Historical Society. Records at the Archives date to 1681.
Highlights of the collection include, birth/death records, marriage records, wills, orphan’s court papers, deeds and tax records. You might even trace your property to the 18th century. Chester County is the oldest of Pennsylvania’s three original counties, dating to 1680.
“It’s one of the most complete and well organized collections of county government records in Pennsylvania,” Laurie Rofini, director, said.
The records are expansive because there was never a fire or flood at the county courthouse where much was stored.
Many of the records are kept in massive stacks of archival quality, acid -free boxes and folders, but
“It’s one of the most complete and well organized collections of county government records in Pennsylvania.” — Laurie Rofini, director of the Chester County Archives and Records Services
unlike at a public library, patrons don’t have direct access to records stored in a secure environment. Even pests like silverfish can wreck paper and are watched for.
Records are gathered and presented by staffers.
And what to do when the correct document sits in front of you?
“We’ll help interpret the records,” Rofini said. “We know the laws.
“We can save you time and help you interpret what you are looking at.”
Although the site is huge and orderly, not everything is saved, according to Jake Goodridge, records manager. A state retention
schedule fulfilling legal requirements does not require saving traffic citations for longer than three years. Minutes of county commissioners’ meetings since the 90s are still stored.
“We’re in a constant state of flux,” Goodridge said, “with 10,000 cubic feet of records.”
“We act as a giant filing cabinet,” Rofini said.