Middletown has an abundance of genealogy and local history resources (four libraries/archives). Less than 30 minutes away are the Connecticut State Library, Connecticut Historical Society Library, and the library of the Connecticut Society of Genealogists. Below is a concise directory of these research destinations, plus a selection of useful web sites. (Don't forget to double-check library hours before visiting.

Check our Member Area's Genealogy Resources Page for (1) summaries of library holdings relevant to Middletown research; (2) resources unique to each library; and (3) comments & tips about each. You'll also find a bibliography of Middletown local history & genealogy.

Middletown Area

Russell Library (Middletown's public library) (Middletown Room - local history)
123 Broad Street, Middletown CT 06457; (860) 347-2520; www.russelllibrary.org
Contact: Reference Desk
Hours: Mon. - Thurs., 9 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.; Fri., Noon - 6 p.m.; Sat., 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (school year); Sun 2 - 5 p.m. (closed Sun. mid-May to mid-Oct.)

Middlesex County Historical Society (General Mansfield House)
151 Main Street, Middletown, CT 06457; (860) 346-0746; www.mchsct.org
Contact: Jesse Nasta, Executive Director
Hours: Tues. & Thurs. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.; Genealogy & research by appointment only.

Godfrey Memorial Library (Genealogy library; national in scope)
134 Newfield Street, Middletown, CT 06457; (860) 346-4375; www.godfrey.org
Contact: Carol Ansel, Director
Hours: Tues., Wed., Fri. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Thurs. 12 noon - 4 p.m.; 2nd & 4th Sat., 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.; closed Sun. & Mon.

Olin Library Special Collections & Archives (Wesleyan University)
252 Church Street, Middletown, CT 06459; Main Library: (860) 685-386-3123;
Archives: (860) 685-3863; http://www.wesleyan.edu/libr/schome/
Contact: Amanda Nelson, University Archivist
Hours: Special Collections & Archives Reading Room - Monday - Friday, 1 - 5 p.m. (school year), and by appointment during the summer.
(Olin Library regular stacks: Mon. - Thurs., 8 a.m. - 2 a.m.; Fri., 8 a.m. - 11 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Sun., 10 a.m. - 2 a.m.).

City of Middletown Department of Health & Vital Statistics (births/marriages/deaths)
Middletown City Hall, 245 deKoven Drive, Middletown, CT 06457; (860) 638-4960
City of middletown / Health Dept. / Vital Statistics
Contact: Judy Kudrak, Assistant Registrar of Vital Statistics; Taylor Woitowitz, Assistant Registrar of Vital Statistics
Hours: Mon. - Fri., 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

A note on Middletown Vital Records: Vital records in Connecticut are kept by the Town Clerk for each town. Keep in mind that the original area of Middletown encompassed what are now Middletown, Cromwell, and Middlefield on the west side of the Connecticut River; and Portland and East Hampton on the east side. For the genealogist this means knowing when each town was incorporated as a separate entity, and therefore when it began keeping its own vital records. In 1767 the town of Chatham was incorporated, encompassing the Middletown lands on the east side of the river. In 1841 the present area of Portland was incorporated, separating from Chatham. The remaining town of Chatham remained, but changed its name to East Hampton in 1915. On the west side of the river, the "Upper Houses" incorporated as the town of Cromwell in 1851. Middlefield, in the southwest corner of Middletown, incorporated as a separate town in 1866.

Hartford Area

Connecticut Museum of Culture and History - Waterman Research Center
One Elizabeth Street at Asylum Avenue; Hartford, CT 06105; (860) 236-5621
www.connecticutmuseum.org
Contact: Sierra Dixon, Manager, Waterman Research Center
Hours: By appointment only on Tues., Wed., Fri., & Sat. between 12 noon to 4:30 p.m.

Connecticut State Library (Information Services Division - History & Genealogy)
231 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106; (860) 757-6580; http://www.ctstatelibrary.org
Contact: Mel Smith or Jeannie Sherman, Reference Librarians
Hours: Mon. - Fri., 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Connecticut Society of Genealogists
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 435, Glastonbury, CT 06033
Library: 175 Maple Street, East Hartford, CT 06118; (860) 569-0002; www.csginc.org
Contact: Stephanie Hyland, Office Manager
Hours: Mon. 1-8 p.m., Tues.-Thurs 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

New England / Northeast

New England Historic Genealogical Society
(American Ancestors Research Center)
99-101 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116; (617) 536-5740
www.americanancestors.org
Contact: Sarah Dery, Director of Research & Library Services
Hours: Closed for on-site research 2023-2025.

National Archives - Northeast Region/Waltham, Mass.
Frederick C. Murphy Federal Center
380 Trapelo Road, Waltham, MA 02452; (781) 663-0130
http://www.archives.gov/boston/public/historical
Hours: (Archives) Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri., 7 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; Thurs., 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.
(plus 1st Saturday of the month, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)

National Archives - Northeast Region/Waltham, Mass.
380 Trapelo Road, Waltham, MA 02452; (866) 406-2379
http://www.archives.gov/northeast/
Hours: By appointment only Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Web sites of interest to Middletown researchers

The Connecticut Index of Jane Devlin's "Dunham-Wilcox" web site
http://www.dunhamwilcox.net
A treasure-trove of Middletown and Middlesex County records, including vital records (Barbour), cemetery records, wills, deeds, the 1853 Centennial Address of David D. Field, Middletown Upper Houses by Charles Collard Adams (1908), and much more.

Middlesex County USGenWeb Project
http://www.ctgenweb.org/county/comiddlesex/
Assemblage of resources, links, & records for Middlesex County towns.

Middletown USGenWeb Home Page
http://www.ctgenweb.org/county/comiddlesex/Middletown/index.html
Assemblage of resources, links, & records for Middletown from volunteer contributors.

General genealogy web sites

RootsWeb Home Page
www.rootsweb.com
RootsWeb was a free genealogy website and web hosting service that grew to hold a massive amount of user-contributed genealogy and local history information. The site and its link remain as static content.

Cyndi's List
www.cyndislist.com
Cyndi's List is an elephantine index of internet links (over 300,000) to genealogy web sites.