Local History and Genealogy

The Pittsylvania County Public Library is committed to helping preserve the history of our area. The library has a significant collection of materials related to the history of the county and its people, as well as the history of the Commonwealth generally. Items in these collections are typically marked in the online catalog with R VA as a prefix. They may be used in the library.

The library offers specialized help in using the collection two days a week; for more information, call the library in Chatham at 434-432-3271 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The library has also partnered with the Pittsylvania Historical Society on several projects. The most recent is the conversion of the train depot in Chatham into a center for local history and genealogy, the history of railroads in the area, and space for the Veteran’s History Project. The target date for opening the depot to the public is January, 2011. Watch our website and our Facebook page for updated information.

Online Resources

The library subscribes to three databases to help researchers with genealogy and local history questions; they are Ancestry.com; Heritage Quest; and African-American Heritage.