Genealogy and Local History Resources Available at the St. Mary’s County Libraries

• A number of online resources, including Ancestry.com (available only in Library buildings) and HeritageQuest Online. See our Genealogy and Local History Online Resources page for more information.
• St. Mary’s County Genealogical Society Collection in the Living Room at Leonardtown Library
  • Local family histories, county and Maryland history, Census, cemetery records, marriage licenses, and county and Maryland death records.
  • These reference materials cannot be checked out, but can be used within the library. They are kept in locked cabinets. The key can be signed out at the checkout desk.
• St. Mary’s County Newspaper Archive
  • Searchable database of:
    • The Beacon: 1923-1984, with gaps
    • The Enterprise: 1952-3 months ago, with gaps
    • The Tester: 1948-1962
    • Naval Air Test Center and NAS Patuxent River command histories through 1952
  • Having trouble viewing the newspapers? Try our Newspaper Archive Troubleshooting Guide
  • The Beacon, 1852-1921, is available online (with gaps) from the Library of Congress’ Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers website
    • Because the paper operated under different names, there are three newspapers available on the site: Saint Mary’s beacon, St. Mary’s beacon, and St. Mary’s gazette. Use the Chronicling America: Maryland Newspapers page to access the collection.
• County newspapers on microfilm at the Lexington Park Library
  • The Beacon: 1852-1984, with gaps
    • Subject Index of The Beacon, 1852-1890
  • The Enterprise: 1952-present
  • For information about accessing the microfilm, please call the Information Desk at 301-863-8188 or send questions to lexi.ref@stmalib.org.
• Digital editions of the following are available on all public computers at all three libraries:
• The Enterprise: 1952-3 months ago, with gaps
• The Beacon: 1923-1984, with gaps
• The Tester (1943-1962, with gaps in the early years), the newspaper of the US Naval Air Test Center
• NAS Pax River Command Histories from the 1940s and 1950s
• Maryland collection at all three libraries
  • Includes various print resources, including Maryland and St. Mary’s County history books and genealogical resources.

Local History Resources Available Elsewhere

• Maryland Historic Trust Inventory of Historic Properties in St. Mary’s County
• Southern Maryland Studies Center at CSM
  • Located in LaPlata, the SMSC is a central location for research on this historically important region. Students, historians, genealogists, and community members use SMSC’s resources to study the culture and development of Charles, Calvert, St. Mary’s, and southern areas of Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties.
• St. Mary’s College of Maryland Archives
  • The SMCM archives provide for the acquisition, organization, description, preservation, and availability of unique materials documenting the history of the school as well as the history of Southern Maryland, particularly St. Mary’s County.
• St. Mary’s County Genealogical Society
• St. Mary’s County Historic Preservation Commission
  • St. Mary’s County Cemetery Project
  • Cemetery Database – Updated October 2020
  • Cemetery Database Footnotes
  • To contribute information to the database, pick up a form at the library.
• St. Mary’s County Historical Society
  • Located at Tudor Hall in Leonardtown.
  • The Research Center is open Thurs-Fri, 11am-4pm, and the second and fourth Saturdays of every month, 10am-4pm. Closed from mid-December through January.
  • Reach the Business Office by phone at 301-475-2467.
  • Family Files Index – An alphabetical list of all the family files in the SMCHS Research Center, updated October 2021