Our Collections

Our library contains more than 1,300 bound volumes with an emphasis on Somerset County History & Genealogy, New Jersey State History and the American Revolution.  We also hold the Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey and a partial run of the Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society. In addition, we hold family files, subject files, bound manuscripts, manuscript collections, photographs, maps, microfilm and more.  

A partial list of our holdings is available through The Somerset County Library system  catalogue.  

During this past two yearswe  had the luxury of time  to process some of our legacy manuscript collections.  The collections consist of deeds and land conveyance documents (some dating to the early 1700s), family and business correspondence, family history research, bound manuscripts, photographs, and more.  Please click on the "Manuscript Collection" PDF below to download a list of our processed collections.  Detailed container lists for the numbered collections are available upon request.  

The Van Horn Library holds over 400 family files.  The files contain research queries, genealogies, research notes, news clippings, etc.  File size ranges from one page to multiple documents. Please check with us before coming to visit to ensure we have sufficient material available for your research.  Please click on the "Family Files" PDF below to download the  list of family names.

Donations of books, manuscripts, photographs, ephemera and small artifacts related to the people, organizations or events of Somerset County, New Jersey will be considered for inclusion in our collections.  If interested in making such a donation, please send an email to the attention of 

the Librarian at info@somersethistorynj.org.