Sturgis Library

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Special Collections

The Sturgis Library Special Collections consists of:

• Sturgis Library Archives
• Kittredge Maritime Center
• The Lothrop Genealogy Collection

Preserving Memory Photograph and Digital Archive Database

The Preserving Memory digital archival database is a searchable database of some of the library's most important archival materials, including images of documents, photos and postcards.

NEW! In-Library and Home Access to Genealogical Resources

We now offer in-library access to Ancestry Library, and both in-library and at-home access to Hertiage Quest Online. All users will need a Sturgis Library card to use these resources. To find out more about obtaining a Sturgis Library card or accessing the databases, call us at (508) 362-6636 or email us at . Or, you can print out a library card registration form here.

To access Heritage Quest Online from home, CLICK HERE.

Barnstable County Deeds and Public Records

The following documents are now available through the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds website:
--Recorded Land indexes and images from 1704 to the present (complete).
--Recorded Land Plan indexes and images (complete).
--Land Court name index (incomplete, see the caveat at the bottom of the Land Court by Name search result page)
--Land Court Document images from 1899 to the present.

To access these resources, click here.

Whelden Memorial Library Historical Index

The complete indexing of sixteen volumes of West Barnstable history was recently completed and is now posted on the Whelden Memorial Library website. The compilation of this work was the longtime effort of resident Martin Wirtanen and others who supported him along the way. The information in these works dates all the way from 1644, when the first parcel that was to become West Barnstable was purchased from the Indian Serunk, to the present day. This comprehensive history includes volumes of information on historical houses and cemeteries, the brickyard and many other areas of interest. Of special interest is extensive information on the Finnish community that settled in West Barnstable, as well as the other ethnic groups that made West Barnstable their home. The volumes are stored at the Whelden Memorial Library on Route 149 in West Barnstabble, and are available for in-house use. To access the index, click here.