LibGuides: Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture: Genealogy

Charleston Area Institutions

The Family History Center, Charleston, SC
The Family History Center is a branch of the Family History Library of Salt Lake City, UT. We have a wide variety of tools to help you identify your ancestors. Everyone is welcome to come in and use the Family History Center resources.
The IAAM Center for Family History
The IAAM Center for Family history is a one of a kind research center dedicated to African American genealogy. The center will be a part of the International African American Museum, scheduled to open in 2022.
South Carolina Room at the Charleston Public Library
Genealogy tips and resources held at the Charleston County Public Library. Library also has access to Ancestry.com
Lowcountry Africana
Lowcountry Africana, sponsored by the Magnolia Plantation Foundation of Charleston, South Carolina, is a free website dedicated to African American genealogy and history in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, home to the rich Gullah-Geechee cultural heritage.
South Carolina Historical Society
With 350 years of state history comprised in rare books, manuscripts, and visual materials, the South Carolina Historical Society is the state’s largest and oldest private archive as well as a modern historical museum.

Founded in 1855, the organization’s preservation, exploration, and interpretation of the state’s historical legacy continues to benefit generations of learners. Its mission is “to expand, preserve and make accessible our collection; to improve knowledge of and encourage focus, interest and pride in the history of our state.”
Special Collections at the College of Charleston
The Special Collections Department of the College of Charleston was founded to support the teaching and learning mission of the College of Charleston and to promote scholarship on the South Carolina Lowcountry and the broader Atlantic World. It is located on the third floor of the Marlene and Nathan Addlestone Library. Its holdings include over 600 manuscript collections related to the history and culture of the South Carolina Lowcountry, the archives of the College of Charleston, the Spoleto Festival Archives, and more than 40,000 rare books and pamphlets.

Man_Half-tube/Getty Images

Genealogy Societies/Organizations

South Carolina Genealogical Society
Welcome to the official web page of the South Carolina Genealogical Society. We are here to provide you with helpful information on the SCGS, as well as provide you with links to information on our individual chapters, other genealogical web sites, research, histories, publications, and much more.
Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society
Broad purposes of which would be to foster and encourage historical and genealogical studies of families of all ethnic groups, with special emphasis upon Afro-Americans.
Black Family Genealogy and History Society (BFGHS)
International Society of Sons and Daughters of Slave Ancestry

Selected Manuscript Collections

Inventory of the Avery Normal Institute Records, 1862 - 1978
The Avery Normal Institute was established by the American Missionary Association (AMA) in Charleston, South Carolina in 1865. The Institute originally served as a school for former slaves and free persons of color, providing normal (or, teacher) training to students pursuing careers in education. The school eventually became known just as Avery Institute, operating as a high school with financial support from the AMA until 1947, when it became part of Charleston's segregated public school system. The school closed in 1954.
Inventory of the Walter N. Boags Papers, 1945 - 1980s
From 1949 to the late 1970s, Walter N. Boags (1917-1997) owned and operated Boags Modern Arts Photography Studio, one of the few African American photography studios in Charleston, South Carolina. During the 1980s, Boags continued to operate as a freelance photographer.
The collection consists mostly of black-and-white and color negatives, with some prints and proofs, taken by Walter Boags from 1945 through the 1980s. Boags' work focused on African Americans, African American groups, and architecture related to African American education, worship, and business in the Charleston area.
Inventory of the Brown Fellowship Society, 1794 - 1990
The Brown Fellowship Society was a benevolent society of free African-American and racially mixed men, affiliated with the St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina.
Inventory of the Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church Records, 1857-1994
Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church, an African-American church, formed after the Civil War with the withdrawal of African-American members from Trinity United Methodist Church. In 1866, the congregation purchased its current building at 60 Wentworth Street, Charleston, South Carolina.

For a full listing of our collections please see here https://avery.cofc.edu/archives/collection_list.php

For a listing of our digital collections please see here https://lcdl.library.cofc.edu/institution/avery-research-center/

Getting Started

Here are a few steps to get you started

Interview the living oldest relative in your family
Interview your immediate family members
Interview your family friends
Fill in the information to your family tree
Search online databases (i.e. Census Records, Ancestry, FamilySearch, and Fold3.com)
Visit archival repositories and/or libraries to verify, clarify, and fill in blanks

Tips

Videos

Library Resources

These resources may be at the Avery Research Center or at Addlestone Library.

Black Genealogy by Charles L. Blockson; Black Classic Press Staff
Call Number: CS21 .B56 1991
ISBN: 0933121539
Publication Date: 1996
First published in 1977, black genealogy remains a unique guide guide among standard genealogical references. author charles blockson, a noted genealogist and african american historian, traced his own family roots back through the 18th century. along his journey, he discovered obstacles and advantages that make searching for black family history a rewarding experience.
Black genealogy : basic steps to research by Bill R. Linder
Call Number: CS21 .L56 1981
Publication Date: 1981
Black Genesis by James M. Rose; Alice Eichholz
Call Number: CS21 .R57 2003
ISBN: 0806317353
Publication Date: 2003-01-01
Black roots : a beginner's guide to tracing the African American family tree by Tony Burroughs
Call Number: E185.96 .B94 2001
Publication Date: 2001
Locating free African American ancestors : a beginners guide by Aaron L. Day
Call Number: E185.96 .D326 2003
Publication Date: 2003
List of free Black heads of families in the first census of the United States, 1790 by Debra L. Newman
Call Number: E185.96 .N47 1974
Publication Date: 1974
A colloquial history of a black South Carolina family named Simons by Minnie Simons Williams
Call Number: E185.96 .W54 1990
Publication Date: 1990
A place called down home : an African American guide to genealogy and historical identity by Dee Parmer Woodtor
Call Number: E185.96 .W66 1996
Publication Date: 1996
Afro American Genealogy Sourcebook by Tommie Morton Young
Call Number: E185.96 .Y67 1987
ISBN: 9780965382632
Publication Date: 1987
Guide to Tracing Your African Ameripean Civil War Ancestor by Jeanette Braxton Secret
Call Number: E540.N3 B73 1997
ISBN: 0788406728
Publication Date: 1997-07-01
With approximately 200,000 African Ameripeans serving in the U.S. Colored Troops, the Union Army or Navy during the Civil War, it is very likely every African Ameripean had at least one ancestor who fought in the Civil War. This helpful guide describes ho
Slave Genealogy by David H. Streets
Call Number: E185.96 .S817 1986
ISBN: 0917890639
Publication Date: 2008-01-01
This excellent research guide provides a very clear discussion of slave genealogy with emphasis on the non-plantation slaves, and vividly demonstrates-with three case studies drawn from the records of Wayne County, Kentucky-the research methods and types

Other Guides of Interest

Family History and Genealogy
by Mary Jo Fairchild Last Updated Jan 28, 2021 1471 views this year

Association for the Study of African American Life and History 2021 Black History Theme Guide
This is a resource for Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) members and interested parties who want to learn more about the 2021 Black History Theme, “The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity“.

These resources were compiled by the ASALH 2021 Black History Theme Committee.

Contact

Aaisha Haykal

Email Me

Contact:

Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture
125 Bull Street
Charleston, SC 29494

843-953-7608

Subjects:African American Studies, African Studies, Southern Studies

Genealogy and Ancestry Websites

RootsWeb
Online resource that has message boards, family trees, and tips
Family Search
Fold3
Fold3 features premier collections of original military records. These records include the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served in the military. Many of the records come from the U.S. National archives, The National Archives of the U.K. and other international records.
South Carolina Vital Records
Forebears-South Carolina
How to locate parents' names
Genealogy.com
Genealogy.com is a source for family history buffs to find genealogical research originally posted in GenForum and our most popular genealogy articles.
Genealogy Adventures
Library of Congress Local History and Genealogy and Reference Services
As one of the leading genealogical collections in the country, the Library has more than 50,000 genealogies and 100,000 local histories. The collections are especially strong in North American, British Isles, and German sources.

The vertical files in the Local History and Genealogy Reading Room contain miscellaneous materials relating to specific family names, to the states, towns, and cities of the U.S., and to genealogical research in general.

Professional/Certified Genealogists

If you cannot get to the location where your ancestors lived or you have hit a road block, it may be good to connect with a professional and certified genealogist.

Heritage Consulting
Lineages
Board for Certification of Genealogists
Since its founding in 1964 by leading American genealogists, BCG has fostered public confidence in genealogy as a respected branch of history in two ways:

– We promote attainable, high, and uniform standards of competence and ethics among genealogists through programs of outreach, publication, and education. We continue to publish, disseminate, and update these standards as appropriate, and collaborate with others who share this goal.
– We award the Certified Genealogist® credential to persons whose work meets these standards.
Guide to Hiring Professional Genealogists
Genealogy Adventures
For more than a decade, the Genealogy Adventures website and online broadcasts have helped genealogists of all levels and abilities discover and develop methodologies to discover their ancestors. Founder and host, Brian Sheffey, developed a platform noted for its honesty, frankness, compassion, shared wisdom, and humor.

Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture: Genealogy

About Page