17 hours Ago By Jen Garofalo
The Cornerstone Genealogical Society will celebrate 50 years in 2025. While their focus is on the family histories of Greene County, David Cressey, president of the board, said the society’s materials are a bit broader, adding in a regional aspect. “Families tended to move around between Pennsylvania and Virginia (what’s now West Virginia), so we have a fair amount of material from West Virginia, Fayette and Washington counties and, of course, Greene County,” Cressey said.
Why do people stop by to research at Cornerstone? More often than not, they are searching their ancestry, according to Cressey. “In the early frontier days – the late 1700s and early 1800s – as the population began to move west a lot of earlier settlers were funneled through here, down the National Road,” Cressey said. “So, we see a lot of out-of-state visitors who have traced their family lineage back to this area, and they’re looking for additional information.
” They also have detailed information on burial sites. “Back then, farms were 400 acres, and it was common for families to have their own cemeteries at the back of the farm. We’ve been able to keep track of a lot of them, and some of them are even still maintained so many people are interested in that,” Cressey said.
Cornerstone Genealogical Society is home to the complete Pennsylvania Archives, the Mayflower Families Collection, maps, wills and deed information. With its wealth of historical information, it’s not uncommon for the nonprofit to have reporters stop by, looking for information on historical events associated with the area. They have newspapers dating back to the Civil War on microfilm, and they’ve created an index of obituaries, providing helpful information for those looking for a specific person.
“The other reason people utilize us is through the gas industry. There are a lot of contracts around here with a percentage of royalties from the gas company going to the landowner or their next of kin,” Cressey said. “Sometimes, we’re looking for descendants to find out who the royalties are owed to.
” Even if visitors aren’t searching for something specific, history buffs can enjoy monthly meetings with educational speakers on a variety of topics. Most recently, they had a speaker share information on the history of prisons during the Civil War. They’ve hosted tours of museums and seen artifact collections from the Civil War and other momentous events in history.
Members of the nonprofit enjoy talking about the past, but they’re also working toward securing a future, using new technology and adding relevant additions to their services. “Our biggest initiative right now is trying to get the Waynesburg Republican’s newspapers from 1870 to 1992 digitized and available online,” Cressey said. “We’ve also been streaming our meetings with speakers and other events on our Facebook page, so visitors are welcome to see what they’ve missed.
” The all-volunteer staff has managed to remain open five days per week, 12 months per year, and they hope to remain available to the public as often as possible. Visit https://cornerstonegenealogy.com/ for more information.
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