The Cornerstone Genealogical Society (CGS), an all-volunteer nonprofit organization located on 144 E. Greene Street in Waynesburg, has reopened to the public by appointment only Monday through Friday from 1-4 p.m., including tours of the restored Log Courthouse attached to the CGS building. The library is asking that visitors wear masks and abide by social distancing guidelines.
Since 1975 CGS has been, “dedicated to preserving the documented history of Greene County Pennsylvania, especially as it relates to the early families, to cooperate with and encourage those presently engaged in the field of genealogy, to offer assistance to anyone locally or in other areas, and to compile, collect and make available all possible records relating to Greene County Pennsylvania and the Upper Ohio Valley,” according to their website.
CGS provides an extensive repository of local history, available in the form of photographs, letters, Bibles, diaries, maps, tax records, newspapers, scrapbooks, and microfilm, etc. Information comes not just from Greene County, but from neighboring counties and states such as Washington County, Fayette County, Monongahela County, West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, etc.
President of the CGS, Dave Cressey explained that although everything is documented online now, this library holds vast amounts of material that is not available on the internet, making the society necessary for those looking to learn more specifics about their ancestry.
Cressey said it is because of that necessity that he gets to meet people from states away that trace their ancestry back to Greene County.
“We had someone in here from Wisconsin a couple of weeks ago. Being in this relatively unpopulated area, in this little town of Waynesburg, you meet people from all over the country,” Cressey said. “So that’s a lot of fun and usually they’re very impressed with what we have.”
Cressey said one integral part of their holdings is their obituary section. CGS’s database holds over 160,000 obituaries.
“We have had someone go through newspapers going back to the 1860s and create an index of all of the obituaries or mentions of death, which is of course what genealogy is all about,” he said.
The library obtains most of its materials from those who donate their family histories, such as the over 100 scrapbooks highlighting families and Greene County history.
The attached Log Courthouse from 1797 was renovated and utilized as a meeting space on various topics on the second Tuesday of every month, excluding December. These meetings had been put on hold due to the pandemic but are expected to resume in 2022.
The Cornerstone Genealogical Society relies on members to fund their efforts. Staff members are not salaried, so income goes towards paying utilities. The library receives income from selling books, charging for printing, with the bulk of their revenue coming from paid membership fees.
Cressey said that the library also receives donations as well as, “Generous bequests from people in their wills.”
If you are interested in becoming a member, or just stopping by to immerse yourself in Greene County history, call 724-627-5653 to book your appointment.