Welcome
Burlington County, New Jersey is rich in history. The county's Quaker origins and colonial-era prominence are notable but far from its only legacy.
BurlCo has greatly contributed to developments in agriculture and manufacturing, boasts a critical military installation that dates back over a century, as well as the nation's first national reserve. Activists, inventors, spiritual leaders, revolutionaries, and royalty alike have called this place home.
And now for the first time you can wander through the county's past as if it were your own backyard.
Artifacts
A look at the physical objects in the library's collection that tell the story of Burlington County. This section features a wide array of items including ephemera, journals, manuscripts, and scrapbooks stretching back almost 200 years
Family History
Family History, or genealogy, is the study of one's ancestors.
Burlington's status as an early settlement and capital of West Jersey during the Proprietorship period means deep colonial ties to the area; its proximity to the bustling metropolises of New York and Philadelphia means it was both a way-stop and the end of the line for generations of immigrants.
BurlCoHistory showcases a variety of resource types meant to aid in genealogy research. Artifacts, family histories, and photographs can all reveal details about those who came before us.
Local History
Burlington County is New Jersey's largest county by area and one of its oldest. Europeans colonized the area for over 350 years while the Lenape had been here for hundreds of years before that.
BurlCoHistory shares items that give users an understanding of what life in Burlington County has been like over the centuries. Alongside written histories of villages and townships are books on the culture and industries that developed and thrived here.
Newspapers
Step back into the past by checking out our digitized collection of local newspapers.
It is essential to note that the items here only represent a fraction of historical wealth that BCLS holds; amongst our most sought after resources are the almost 10,000 reels of microfilmed newspapers. These can be consulted in the New Jersey Room at the library headquarters in Westampton.
Item Map
This item map can help users visualize the geographic breadth represented in the Burlington County Library's New Jersey collection. Keep in mind this is by no means an exhaustive list, but only represents a fraction of our holdings. From Bass River to Wrightstown, check out what we have to offer!