Some of New York's most valuable genealogical and historical treasures, from the New York County Clerk's Division of Old Records located on the 7th and 8th floor of the Surrogate's Courthouse Building in Manhattan, will soon be moved to new homes.
The move is great news for researchers everywhere - in their new homes, the documents will be further preserved for future generations, and in many cases, access will increase. Many of the documents, which date back to 1674, have been stored at 31 Chambers Street for centuries, and are at great risk of significant degradation.
The documents contain a wide variety of records, including land records, immigration records and court proceedings that hold the intimate details of the earliest New Yorkers.
Some records will move to the State Archives in Albany; others will move to New York City's Department of Records.
The New York Times has a must-read article that dives into the details and contains some amazing photographs of the documents.
Main photo credit: The New York Times