Johnston County - Johnston County Heritage Center Museum and Research Library

The Johnston County Heritage Center is open FREE OF CHARGE 9:00-5:00 Monday-Saturday (except weekday holidays observed by the County of Johnston and the Saturday before Easter).

What's inside the Heritage Center

Photo of two women doing genealogical research in the Heritage Center Reading Room Researchers of local history and genealogy can access an exceptional collection of materials in the Margaret McLemore Lee Reading Room and the Brown-Ross Audio-Visual Room. We hold approximately 2,000 books, 800 reels of microfilm, 300 maps/atlases, 50,000 photographic images, 400 private collections of books and papers, and vertical files on genealogy, biography, and local history. Local history materials relate exclusively to Johnston County, while the focus for genealogical records primarily includes the eastern half of North Carolina and the Virginia Tidewater region. Materials for other regions may be available through interlibrary loan.

You may do online searches of our catalogued items through the following links:

Heritage Center's Archival Inventory - including artifacts, photographs, microfilms, maps, audio-visual recordings, and more

Public Library's Online Catalog - including Heritage Center's collection of reference books on local history and genealogy

Some of the materials available for genealogical research at the Heritage Center:

Printed Materials:

U.S. Census, 1784-1787
North Carolina Census Indexes, 1790-1870
Johnston County Census Records, 1850-1920
Marriages, 1764-1900
Wills, 1746-1870
Court minutes, 1759-1850
Cemetery directories
Bible records
Military service records
High school yearbooks , 1920s to the present

Microfilm Collections:

North Carolina Census Records, 1790-1930
Johnston County Deeds, 1759-1947
Marriage Register, 1760-1979
Wills, 1761-1968
Other Courthouse records, starting 1712
Church records
Civil War prison and service records
Newspapers, 19th Century to the present

Searchable Databases Online:

Recent Acquisitions:

Memorabilia from Corinth-Holders High School, 1920s-1960s
VFW Ladies Auxiliary, Stevens-Barbour Post 5886, Smithfield, original book of minutes, 1954-1960 and scrapbooks, 1961 & 1962-63
"Artifacts of Enterprise": 1924 Carolina Telephone bill, Underwood Funeral Home straw fan, W.B. Oliver & Son "Ration Book Holder," bills & other letterhead items from numerous Smithfield businesses, other knickknacks
1909 photo of Market Street Smithfield; 1940 postcard of Hotel Gabriel Johnston, Smithfield
Maps/plats of J. Walter Myatt Farm, 1918; map of "Rosemont" Subdivision, Smithfield, 1923; photo of Mrs. W.G. Yelvington, n.d.; various newspaper clippings & booklets from early 20th Century
CD of songs performed by Steven Landau, MD entitled "Spiritual Smatterings"
Genealogy books: "Henry Horn of Contentnea Creek" & "William Horn of Nansemond" - by Robert G. Horn, MD
Hometown Heritage Publishing Photograph Collection - pictures used in Explorer tabloid & Hometown Living magazine (by Wingate Lassiter), 1995-2004
Genealogical notebooks et al on several families: Barefoot, Bass, Butler, Cannady, Flynn, Noles, Pridgen
Four Oaks Primitive Baptist Church photo albums (3), 1994-2002
Congressman Edward W. Pou Collection: (1) large, gold-framed portrait, c. early 1930s; (2) walking cane with engraved gold handle presented to Mr. Pou, Chairman, Rules Committee, U.S. House of Representatives, March 4, 1919
Pine Level High School yearbook "Pine Needle" for 1955, 1959, 1963, 1964
Bill Joe Austin's Band including Tom J. Lassiter, Joe Perry, Rayvon Love et al - TJL's "Ballroom Melody" edited tape from 1976-79 [CD copy]
CD recordings of Smithfield Bicentennial Worship Service (April 1977) & Hugh Austin's funeral service (October 1982)
Selma fire hydrant dated 1898 - in service till 2009 (donated by Town of Selma)
Oral history interviews with World War II veteran James V. Proctor and Korean War Era veteran Kenneth M. Smith - audiocassette recordings
Photo of Jiffy Lunch, Downtown Smithfield, 1950s - Tommy Carpenter & Lib Johnson sitting at counter
Genealogy book: "Lassiter Family History" - compiled and written by Merle Moore Quast, edited by Susan Quast
"Classics Old And New … A Third Reader," 1906 - used by "Thoms D. Edwards, 14 years Oct. 14 1907" and "Arther" Edwards, Pine Level
Sampson County Record of Estates, 1830-1914 – microfilm (7 reels)
Sampson County Record of Estates (Loose), 1784-1923, Alderman-Wilson – microfilm (24 reels)
Sampson County Record of Wills, 1821-1917 – microfilm (3 reels)
Sampson County Index to Wills, 1820-1969 – microfilm
Sampson County Record of Wills (not probated), 1782-1964 – microfilm
Sampson County Wills (original), 1778-1953, Adams-Zeigler – microfilm (6 reels)
Sampson County Apprentice Bonds, 1829-1897 – microfilm
Sampson County Bastardy Bonds, 1836-1924 – microfilm (2 reels)
Four Oaks High School yearbook "Acorn" for 1958

Researching our collections in person

We welcome any serious researcher to use our library's facilities. We're open 9-5 Monday-Saturday. Admission is free of charge. All materials are non-circulating and not available for inter-library loan. A photocopier and microfilm reader-printer are available for use by our patrons for a nominal fee. Staff members are on duty at all times to help you with your search.

Please visit us in person at:

The Johnston County Heritage Center
241 E. Market Street
(at the corner of Market and Third streets)
Downtown Smithfield, North Carolina
Telephone (919) 934-2836

Requesting information by mail

Image of Historical Books The Heritage Center staff, for a fee starting at $25 per hour, will do limited research of records available within our collections and then mail the results to you.

For genealogical information, send us your research request in writing and include the following information: individual name to be researched; dates of birth, death, marriage, etc., if known; and location(town or township) and dates of residence in Johnston County, if known. Please include your e-mail address so our staff can contact you promptly if necessary.

Historical requests (non-genealogical) should also be made in writing. Queries should be made with respect to a specific topic, person, or event, giving precise dates whenever possible. Please include your e-mail address so our staff may contact you promptly if necessary.

A fee of $25 is required for each search request, payable in advance. For multiple searches, charges are calculated at $25 per hour. E-mail us at heritagecenter@johnstonnc.com to determine how fees may be handled for your particular scenario.

Once you're clear about your charge, make a personal check or money order payable to the Johnston County Heritage Center and mail with your written request for information to:

Johnston County Heritage Center
PO Box 2709
Smithfield, NC 27577