The Department of Records Management and Archives preserves the oldest public records of Tennessee in the state’s oldest town, Jonesborough. Located at 103 West Main Street in a yellow-brick, former bank built in 1915, the archive houses records to aid in researching family, local, and regional history.
The county’s first deed book is coming home!
Deed Book A, sometimes called the Watauga Purchase book, which contains the earliest land records for Washington County and, thus, for Tennessee, is being returned to the county after an absence of 124 years. Read all about it here: News & Events | Washington County, Tennessee Department of Records Management and Archives (wctnarchives.org)
The first recorded deed in the county was an indenture between the settlers and the Native Americans and is shown here in a portion of page one.
The Washington County Courthouse
Jonesborough, Tennessee, March 26, 2021
The new Jackson Theatre sign – April 23, 2021
News and Events: Processing of Circuit Court Cases Completed!
A processing project lasting two-and-one-half years was recently completed making available for the first time over 150 years of Washington County Circuit Court cases. This involves 24,183 civil and criminal court cases, spanning a period from the early 1800s into the mid-20th century, that are now usable. These records offer researchers the ability to dig deep into an ancestor’s life or into various aspects of the history of Washington County. Read more about it at the link above.
County Archivist Ned Irwin with the paintings prior to their being
hung in the Reading Room.
News and Events: Paintings Installed in Archives Reading Room
WAGS Donation Permits the Purchase of Supreme Court Case Files
UPDATED GUIDE to these Tennessee State Court Records
Volunteer Spotlight – Sam Compton
