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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    Land Records Overview

    The Commonwealth Land Office And Its Records

    Land Records Order Form (PDF)

    With the exception of the Revolutionary War years, the Land Office of the Commonwealth has operated continuously since William Penn arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 and began to administer and sell land. In 1981, the land records and the functions of the office were transferred to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Commonwealth land records only document transactions between the Penns or the post-revolutionary Commonwealth and the first purchaser(s) of each tract of land. Deeds transferring land titles between private citizens, either after or during the patenting process, are maintained at the office of the Recorder of Deeds for the appropriate county.

    The State Archives search room provides digitized microfilm copies of some county deeds for the convenience of visitors, but State Archives staff cannot conduct searches in this digitized microfilm (we only search records for which we hold original copies). Researchers who wish to search federal land grants (including military grants made by the United States government) should find them deposited with the National Archives and Records Administration (Washington, D.C. 20408). It should be noted, however, that no such grants were issued in Pennsylvania.

    In order to successfully conduct research with the State land records the researcher must first identify the full name of the land purchaser, the applicant, the warrantee, or patentee; the county in which the land was owned; and the approximate date of the transaction. It may be necessary to know the county and municipality that the land tract was a part of at the time a Land Office document was written. Information about which counties and municipalities were created from which earlier ones can be found on the Genealogical Map of the Counties (PDF) and in Incorporation Dates for Pennsylvania Municipalities. You may purchase a copy of the Genealogical Map of the Counties at ShopPAHeritage.com.

    In addition, the Pennsylvania Political Subdivisions (PDF) map depicts all the various townships, boroughs, cities, and counties in the Commonwealth, and can be a useful tool to identify specific municipal units. As a general rule, the State land records are not going to provide extensive genealogical information about the purchasers of land, for example, personal data such as the person's nativity, age, marital status, or occupation. They can be used, however, to document the presence of a particular settler in a specific place at a given time, a good starting point to begin or continue a family history.

    Five Basic Documents Created In The Land Process

    1. Application - a request for a warrant to have a survey made; usually a slip of paper that does NOT bear applicant's signature.
    2. Warrant - certificate authorizing a survey of a tract of land; initiates title of a property and provides the basis for legal settlement, but does not convey all rights to the property.
    3. Survey - sketch of boundaries of tract of land with exact determination of total acreage.
    4. Return - verbal description of property boundaries; function is similar to that of a patent; internal document sent from Surveyor General to Secretary of the Land Office
    5. Patent - final, official deed from the Penns or the Commonwealth, which conveys clear title and all rights to the private owner.

    For a thorough understanding of both the history of the Commonwealth Land Office and the potential research use and contents of its records, researchers should consult the Record Group 17 finding aids and also Donna Bingham Munger's book Pennsylvania Land Records: A History and Guide for Research (1991).