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

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 & genealogy

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

• 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 & service records 
• Newspapers, 19th Century to the present
  
  Searchable Databases Online  
• 1860 Johnston County Census Records
• 1870 Johnston County Census Records
• 1880 Johnston County Census Records
• 1900 Johnston County Census Records 
• 1910 Johnston County Census Records
• 1920 Johnston County Census Records  
• Newspaper Obituaries, 1801-Present
• Smithfield Herald Headlines, 1885-2004
• Herald Harvest Edition History Headlines
• Johnston County Slave Name Index
• Johnston County Cohabitation & Slave Marriage Index
• Johnston County Marriage Bonds, 1779-1853
• 1902 Johnston County Voter Registration Records
• Johnston County Confederate Soldiers
• Johnston County Register of Deeds Record Search  
• Historical Aerial Photographs  
• Cemetery records and other material provided by the Johnston County Genealogical and Historical Society
  
  Recent Acquisitions
• Book: "Tradition: An American Adventurous Pathway In Search Of Freedom," 2nd edition, 2008, by Herbert Johnson (about the Gray Family of Selma, N.C. & vicinity)
• Bookmarks from Smithfield Public Library with Smithfield Herald and News & Observer advertisements, c. 1940
• Bill Joe Austin's band with George Willis Austin performing "Smithfield My Home Town," 1986 - CD file copied from audiocassette tape
• Quilt with names made by ladies of Selma's Edgerton Memorial Methodist Church, early 1930s
• DVD of Smithfield & Selma Middle School band(s) at "Musicfest" in Florida, 1994
• Large framed copies of Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution
• Brass spittoon from Johnston County Courthouse
• Photos of Johnston County Memorial Nursing Center groundbreaking, January 1974
• Photo of Skinner's College, c. 1923: students & staff of African-American academy at Kenly
• Johnston County Wildlife Club print: "Atkinson's Mill Largemouth"
• Worley's of Selma, N.C. wooden drink case
• Photo of Smithfield Girl Scouts with children, c. 1946
• Kiwanis Club "Game of Smithfield" board with local business advertisements, 1985
• 1932 Corinth-Holders High School diploma issued to Krama Edna Hocutt
• J.H. Parker Collection of personal papers, photographs, clippings from early 20th Century
• Framed pen and ink drawing of Johnston County Courthouse built in 1843
• Genealogy book: "The Bolich Family in America - With Genealogies," 1939
• Hand-written "Arithmetic Book" of Right George, 1831 - believed to have been used at Wentworth Academy, Meadow Township
• Genealogy book: "Descendants of Thomas Martin Lee and Elizabeth Hodges"
• Plainview School painting (print) by Hilda Martin Zimmer
• Personal papers & professional mementos of Rena B. Lassiter, Smithfield Herald editor & publisher, 1920-1960
• Turlington Graded School diploma of Rena Caroline Bingham (Mrs. T.J. Lassiter Sr.), 1904 & Smithfield High School diploma of Thomas James Lassiter, 1928
• Albert W. Rose Family Collection: letters, photographs et al

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 
  

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

 

Requesting information by mail