New Brunswick Free Public Library has a rich local history and genealogy
collection related primarily to New Brunswick and Middlesex County. Our holdings
include newspaper clippings, books, pamphlets, slides, microfilms, city directories,
photographs, post cards, maps, manuscripts, and letters. Our reference staff
can assist with general research requests and will guide patrons to possible
resources so they can do their own searching. Please call 732-745-5108 x20
or email to nbfpl@lmxac.org
The library has a variety of historical materials including field books, insurance and tax maps, city directories from 1855 and 166 volumes of the DAR Lineage Books. Information on local manufacturers, historical buildings, government officials and people, celebrations and events are also available.
To view a list of materials available for use in our Reference Room, please click here. Contents include materials found in the Archives, New Brunswick Room, and New Brunswick Vertical Files.
New Brunswick Firehouse Logs
The details of life in New Brunswick a century ago are documented in the
thousands of pages of the New Brunswick firehouse daily logs available now
at the New Brunswick Free Public Library. Please click here
for the finding guide. To view the actual ditigitized logs, please visit
the library at 60 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, NJ 08901. For more information,
please contact the Reference Desk at: 732.745.5108 x20.
New Brunswick Daily Times 1871-1892
These files are now available as PDF (Portable Document Format) files and accessible by date. It is searchable at the library via automated OCR indexing by keywords. Please visit the library or contact us at 732.745.5108 x20 regarding any search request.
Freedonian 1811-1834
Guardian 1808-1813
Home News Tribune 1903-present
New Brunswick Commercial Advertiser 1933-1934
New Brunswick Daily Times 1859-1863; 1877-6/1880-1882; Jan. - June 1884
and July - Dec. 1885; 1903-1906
New Brunswick Observer 1919-1920
New Brunswick Spokesman 10/23/1926-12/18/1977
New Brunswick Sunday Times 1916-1929
New York Times 9/1851-present
Political Intellegencer & New Jersey Advertiser 1783-1786
St Nicholas 11/1873-10/1907
The Times 10/1827-10/1854; 12/1860-8/1869
The Times and New Jersey Union 2/1855-12/1860
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The library has an index card file to New Brunswick’s birth, marriage and death records for the following:
Births 1882 -1963
Marriages 1915 -1984
Deaths 1924 -1970
The library does not have any vital statistic records beyond the index file.
For copies of birth, marriage or death certificates, please see the City
of New Brunswick’s Department
of Social Services web site or call 732-745-5018.
The State Library of New Jersey and State Vital Statistics Registration also keep records on birth, marriage, death, wills and courts. Visit for detailed information.
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Please contact the Reference Department for information regarding New Brunswick cemeteries. 732-745-5108 x 20. Local cemeteries include the Baptist Cemetery, Central (Cheesman)Cemetetery, Christ Episcopal Church Yard, Evergreen Cemetery North Brunswick, First Dutch Reformed Churchyard, Presbyterian Cemetery, Van Liew Cemetery North Brunswick, the M.E [Methodist Episcopalian] Cemetery, Pitman, the “Old Cath [Catholic] Cemetery”, St. Peter’s Cemetery, Poile Zedek Cemetery, and Willow Grove Cemetery & “willow grove.pdf”
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Ancestry Library and Heritage Quest Online contain a wide range of genealogical and historical information. These databases includes thousands of resources including the U.S. Census 1790-1930, passenger lists, vital record indexes and WWI draft registration cards. This subscriptions are available for in-library use only.
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Ellis Island
Records
Rootsweb
New
Jersey State Archive
Rutgers Postcards
Rutgers
Special Collection and University Archive
Willow Grove Cemetery
Family Research
Family Tree Maker
National Obituary
Archive
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