Click HERE to return to JCGS’s Membership and Organization Website.
The Jefferson County Genealogical Society library and collections are housed in the Jefferson County Historical Society’s Research Center. In addition to the JCGS library described below, the Research Center also houses the archives and vast collections of the Jefferson County Historical Society. These include newspapers; vertical files on subjects and surnames; thousands of documents in the manuscript collection; information on buildings and houses; maps; thousands of photographs; city directories; maritime treasures, and much more. JCHS records are available to researchers following JCHS rules and procedures.
Please review the information on the Historical Society’s site before visiting the Research Center.
Location
13692 Highway 19 (Airport Cutoff Road), Port Townsend, Wash., 98368.
This is NOT a mailing address.
Directions to the Research Center
Hours and Fees
Research Center hours & Phone Number
Hours: Tuesday thru Friday 1pm to 4pm. Also the third Saturday of each month from 1pm to 4pm.
No appointments needed. Walk-ins welcome.
Masks are highly recommended inside the Research Center. Handwashing is required after signing in and before entering the research area.
We encourage out-of-area researchers to search our extensive database on this website to support your genealogy research. Please see the Research Request page or e-mail JCGS at jcgswash@gmail.com.
Phone number: 360-302-5543.
- The Center is closed on all major holidays and the last two weeks in December.
- The Center can be closed for inclement weather.
Entrance Fee
- JCHS and JCGS members and students: Free.
- All others are by donations. Suggested donation is $5 per person. Donations help to support the long-term care of the facility and materials.
COVID Protocols (updated Feb 9, 2023)
- A person who has tested positive for COVID-19 should follow isolation / quarantine / masking procedures as directed by the Jefferson County Public Health Department & Health Officer. The Jefferson County Public Health guidance can be found here: https://jeffersoncountypublichealth.org/1429/COVID-19
- The Research Center may temporarily close if the staff or volunteers need to isolate due to exposure or a positive COVID-19 test result. The closure and reopening will be posted on our website.
Copies: Photocopies (of any size) and computer printouts are 10¢ each for members and 20¢ each for non-members.
Visiting the Research Center
- JCGS volunteers are on duty at all times to welcome and help you with your research needs.
- The Research Center is handicap accessible.
- There is ample free parking.
- Free Wi-Fi is available for members and paying visitors.
- No food or drink is allowed in the research room.
The Jefferson County Genealogical Society library and collections are housed in the Jefferson County Historical Society’s Research Center and cataloged on LibraryThing.org. CLICK HERE to go to the Library page.
Subscription Online Databases Available Free to JCGS Members at the Research Center.
One of the benefits of your membership is access to subscription websites free of charge in the Research Center. You may want to look at a site to see if it is worth your while to subscribe privately. Or, you may find the information you seek by coming into the Research Center and thus saving yourself the subscription fee. We are always open to ideas for new subscriptions, so please let us know if there is one that would benefit you. The following are available for free to JCGS members:
American Ancestors (formerly NEHGS). 
The new name for the New England Historic Genealogical Society site. They are trying to emphasize that they have information for researchers beyond the borders of New England, and indeed they do. This site provides a wealth of information for New England, so use it for any research in these states. They have quite a lot available for New York as well, so be sure to look here. Besides the images of records that they have posted, there are excellent instructional videos on the site as well as articles about researching in a number of different areas. So, don’t stop with the surname search but be sure to take full advantage of the offerings.
Ancestry.com – Library edition. We have the US Collection and the 
International Collection, so you have access to US, English and Canadian census records as well as other non-United States information. The databases are numerous and cover many types of records. The Library Edition does not include Family Trees or Newspapers.
Volunteering
We have a variety of volunteer opportunities at the JCGS. As mentioned above, the Research Center is staffed by JCGS members who assist visitors with their research. Additionally, Jefferson County records are abstracted to create the indexes available on this website. The abstracting work can be done at the Research Center or at home.
Directions to the Research Center
The Research Center is located at 13692 Airport Cutoff Road (Highway 19), approximately five miles south of the City of Port Townsend and 0.3 miles south of the intersection of Highway 19 and Highway 20. The JCGS phone number is (360) 385-9495.
From Port Townsend: Follow Sims Way out of town. At the intersection of Highway 20 and Sims Way (Highway 19), go straight 0.3 miles. The Research Center is on your left. Map
From Port Angeles/Sequim: Take Highway 101 to Highway 20 toward Port Townsend. At the stop light, turn right and go 0.3 miles. The Research Center is on your left. Map
From State Hwy 104: Take Port Townsend Exit, via Beaver Valley/Hwy19. Follow through the intersection of Chimacum/Center Rd where the road name changes to Rhody Drive. Follow Rhody Drive to the intersection of Four Corners Road where the road name changes to Airport Cut Off Road. Continue to follow Hwy19/Airport Cut Off Road for 1.8 miles past the Jefferson County Airport. The Research Center is on your right. Map