Addresses for historical research in North America and Canada
Information guide No.4
This page is approximately a 4 minute read
This guide provides a curated list of addresses of key research institutions, archives, libraries and museums in North America and Canada that hold records relating to maritime, genealogical and historical research.
USA
Washington Navy Yard 901 M Street S.E. Washington D.C. 20374-5060 | Website | USA Naval History |
1306 Dahlgren Avenue SE Washington Navy Yard DC 20374-5055 | Website | Personal records of Naval Commanders |
General Services Administration Washington D.C. 20408 | Genealogical records - births, marriages and deaths, population censuses, naturalisation records, land ownership details. Naval, marine and army service records. Passenger lists and coast guard records etc. |
1921 Sunderland Place Washington D.C. 20036 | Website | Provides valuable advice on where to research. |
25 E. Street Washington D.C. 20538 | Website |
701 Constitution Avenue General Reference Section Washington D.C. 20408 | Website | Passenger lists from 1820 of individuals arriving in the US between 1800-1952 |
100 Museum Drive Newport News Virginia 23606-3759 | Website | Large maritime library |
321 Chestnut Street Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19106 | Website | Local shipping history records. Collection of various Registers between 1764 and 1986. |
The MIT Museum Massachusetts Institute of Technology 265 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge Mass. 02139-4307 | Website | Technical development of shipping records. |
East India Square Salem Massachusetts 01970-3783 | Website | Large maritime library collection. |
Polk Street San Francisco California 94109 | Website | Large maritime library. |
213 N Talbot St St Michaels MD 21663 United States | Website | Research Library open to the public. History of whaling ships. |
8601 Adelphi Road College Park Maryland 20740-6001 | Website |
United States National Museum Constitution Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. | Website | Shipbuilding, technical history, Lloyd’s Register books from 1834 onwards. |
Canada
277 Douglas Avenue St. John New Brunswick E2K 1E5 | Website | Library and archives. |
Federal Archives Division 395 Wellington Street Ottawa Ontario K1A 0N3 | Passenger lists, ships registers. |
1675 Lower Water Street Halifax Nova Scotia B3J 1S3 | Website |
1905 Ogden Avenue Vancouver BC V6J 1A3 | Website |
P.O. Box 34029 Ottawa, Ontario K2J 5B1 | Website |
Maritime History Archive St John’s Newfoundland A1C 5S7 | Website | Holds crew agreements of British registered vessels for a specific period. |
Windsor Station PO Box 6042 Station A Montreal Quebec H3C 3E4 |
PO Box 9412 Stn. Prov. Govt. Victoria BC V8W 9V1 | Website |
395 Wellington Street Ottawa Ontario K1A 0N3 | Website |
Colonial Building Military Road St Johns Newfoundland A1C 5T7 | Website |
PO Box 1000 Charlottetown Prince Edward Island C1A 7M4 | Website |
PO Box 6000 Fredericton New Brunswick E3B 5H1 | Website |
PO Box 10450 Sainte-Foy Quebec G1V 4N1 | Website |
200 Vaughan Street Winnipeg Manitoba R3C 1T5 | Website |
University of Saskatchewan 3 Campus Drive Saskatoon S7N 0W0 | Website |
655 Belleville Street Victoria British Columbia V8V 1X4 | Website |
PO Box 2703 Whitehorse YT Y1A 2C6 | Website |
Department of Natural and Cultural Affairs Government of the N.W. Territories Yellowknife N.W.T. X1A 2L9 | Website |
Online resources
| Library and Archives Canada preserves and makes accessible the documentary heritage of Canada. | Website |
| Hosts several projects to index Canadian censuses. | Website |
| Alberta Family Histories Society, the genealogical resources section contains useful data organised by geographical staring points | Website |
| Maritime History Archive - the crew lists (also called crew agreements) and logbooks for voyages terminating in the years 1863-1938 are indexed and can be searched online. The crew agreements for the years 1951-1976 have not been indexed. | Website |
Disclaimer
Researchers should check availability, accessibility and opening times with the repositories listed before making a personal visit.
Lloyd’s Register Foundation, its affiliates and subsidiaries and their respective officers, employees or agents are, individually and collectively, referred to in this clause as ‘Lloyd’s Register’. Lloyd’s Register assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable to any person for any loss, damage or expense caused by reliance on the information or advice in this document or howsoever provided, unless that person has signed a contract with the relevant Lloyd’s Register entity for the provision of this information or advice and in that case any responsibility or liability is exclusively on the terms and conditions set out in that contract.