Sturgis Library Archives

The Library's archival collections are housed in a climate-controlled vault. This collection includes extremely rare and one-of-a-kind documents such as early deeds from many of the towns on Cape Cod, ships logs, whaling journals, manuscripts, family histories, diaries, letters and correspondence, cemetery records, photographs, historical documents, maps and charts, as well as the collection of personal and research papers of author and historian Henry Crocker Kittredge. Historical materials related to the founding and development of the Sturgis Library are also kept here, as are original catalogs of the Library.

To see the findings aids for our archival collections, click on the links below. The collections are available for in-library use or by contacting us at . Fragile materials may have photocopying restrictions. For further information, please contact the Library directly at (508) 362-6636.

NEW! To help you navigate through the archives, we have created a subject and name index to help locate materials. Use it in conjunction with our online catalog and the finding aids below to find all the hidden treasures in our special collections.

Genealogy and Personal Manuscripts Collection


  • Manuscripts from the Kittredge Collection Kept in the Vault
  • Cape Cod Mariner : Journal of the Kittredge Martitime Research Center

    • 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.

    Map and Chart Collection

    Maps and Charts in the Sturgis Library Archives

    Original Newspaper Collection

    Original Newspaper Collection

    Gravestone Rubbings

    Collection of Gravestone Rubbings