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Orange County, Virginia

County Court, Probate, Land & Tax Records  •  County Census Records  •  County Military Records
County Birth Records, Marriage Records, Divorce Records and Death Records
County Cemeteries & Graveyards  •  County Church & Bible Records
Orange County Virginia Map

Orange County, according to most accounts, was named for William of Orange, the Dutch prince who became William III of England in 1688. It is more probable, however, that the name honored William IV, prince of Orange-Nassau, who married Anne, eldest daughter of George II, in 1734--the year Orange County was formed from Spotsylvania County. Its area is 355 square miles, and the county seat is Orange. The population is 25,881 according to the 2000 census.

Formed in 1734, Orange County was named after William IV, Prince of Orange. The Town of Orange became the county's judicial seat in the early 1750's. The present courthouse was constructed in 1858. Fourteen years later, in 1872, Orange was incorporated as a town. The Town of Orange remains the county seat. Although fire destroyed much of the town in 1908, many buildings from the 1800's still remain.  

In 1787, Nathaniel Gordon opened the Gordon Tavern at the crossroads of the stagecoach routes running north to Fredericksburg and east to Richmond. By 1813, the local patrons of the tavern appointed Nathaniel Gordon the locality's first postmaster and established the Town of Gordonsville.

The Orange County Official Government Website is located at http://www.orangecova.com/

Below is a list of Orange County Genealogical and Historical Socities, Mail-List, Libraries and Archives Addresses and/or Links. See Also Virginia Archives, Museums and Libraries or Virginia Historical & Genealogical Societies for statewide Addresses and links. EMAIL US with websites links to Orange County Archives, Libraries, Genealogical and Historical Societies or any other repository of genealogical information relating to Orange County.

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Orange County Court, Probate and Tax Records

See Also Virginia Court, Probate & Land Records, Tax Records and Marriage Records

Orange County Clerk of the Circuit Court has Marriage Records from 1747, Land Records from 1734, Probate Records from 1734 and Court Records from 1734 and is located at the County Courthouse on P. O. Box 230, 110 North Madison Road, Suite 3, Orange, VA 22960; 540/672-4030, Fax: 540/672-2939 .

Below is a list of online resources for Orange County Court Records. EMAIL US with websites containing Orange County Court Records.

Orange County, VA Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records

See Also Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records in Virginia or Research In Vital Records

PLEASE READ FIRST!!! The information contained below is not guaranteed, as addresses and prices change frequently. It is recommended that you confirm the price and address by calling the vital records office before you place your order.

How to obtain copies of Orange Co., Virginia vital records, such as Orange Co birth certificates, Orange Co death certificates, Orange Co marriage licenses & Orange Co divorce decrees.

Virginia Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Vital Statistics include the official recordation of marriage certificates, birth certificates, and death certificates. Bible records, cemetery records, and church records are private sources that may supplement the official records.

  • Orange Co Birth Certificate: available from June 1912 to present. Birth Certificates are issued or from the State office. Birth Certificates are public information 100 years after the date of the event
  • Orange Co Death Certificates: available from June 1912 to present. Death Certificates are issued or from the State office. Death Certificates are public information 50 years after the date of the event
  • Orange Co Marriage Certificate: available from 1853 to the present from the Clerk of Court in county where the marriage license was issued or from the State office. Marriage Certificates are public information 50 years after the date of the event.
  • Orange Co Divorce Decrees: available from 1918 to the present from the Clerk of Court in county where the marriage license was issued or from the State office. Divorce Decrees are public information 50 years after the date of the event.

Order Virginia Birth Certificate, Death Certificate, Divorce Decree and Marriage Certificates from the Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records online, by Mail, by Phone, Fax, On-Line, or Credit Card or In Person. Due to limited resources they are unable to conduct geneology searches. Contact the Library of Virginia for assistance at http://www.lva.virginia.gov/.

Below is a list of online resources for Orange County Vital Records. EMAIL US with websites containing Orange County Vital Records.

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Orange County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records or Virginia Census Records

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Orange County, Virginia are 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1910, 1920 and 1940. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Orange County are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.

Below is a list of online resources for Orange County Census Records. EMAIL US with websites containing Orange County Census Records.

1790 Orange County, VA Census Records (destroyed by British Army in August 1814)

1800 Orange County, VA Census Records (destroyed by British Army in August 1814)

1810 Orange County, VA Census Records

1820 Orange County, VA Census Records

1830 Orange County, VA Census Records

1840 Orange County, VA Census Records

1850 Orange County, VA Census Records

1860 Orange County, VA Census Records

1870 Orange County, VA Census Records

1880 Orange County, VA Census Records

1890 Orange County, VA Census Records (destroyed by fire at the Commerce Dept on 10 January 1921)

1900 Orange County, VA Census Records

1910 Orange County, VA Census Records

1920 Orange County, VA Census Records

1930 Orange County, VA Census Records

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Orange County, VA Military Records

See Also Research In Military Records or Research In Colonial & United States Wars From Earliest to 1865

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

During the Civil War, Gordonsville played a major role in the transportation of troops and supplies for General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. There are currently 24 sites in Orange County listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. Montpelier, the life-long home of James Madison, fourth President of the United States and "Father of the Constitution" is owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is open daily for public tours.  

Orange County was also the birthplace of our twelfth president, Zachary Taylor, who was born in 1784 at Montebello, near Barboursville. The Exchange Hotel and Civil War Museum in Gordonsville displays rooms decorated as they were in the Old South. It is also a museum that documents the hotel's use as receiving hospital during the Civil war. The Barboursville Ruins, a registered Virginia Historic Landmark, was the home of Governor James Barbour. The brick mansion was designed by Thomas Jefferson and built between 1814 and 1822; it was destroyed by fire on Christmas Day in 1884. The Wilderness Battlefield, which was the site of several Civil War engagements, is located in the eastern end of the county. Generals Lee and Grant clashed there for the first time during the Wilderness campaign in May, 1864. This vicious engagement resulted in 26,000 casualties and marked Grant's fist step toward Appomattox.

Below is a list of online resources for Orange County Military Records. EMAIL US with websites containing Orange County Military Records.

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Orange County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Virginia Genealogical Addresses

Below is a list of online resources for Orange County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Orange County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

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Orange County, VA Cemeteries & Graveyards

See Also Research In Cemetery Records

There are many churches and cemeteries in Orange County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Orange County Tombstone Transcription Project.

Below is a list of online resources for Orange County Cemetery & Church Records. EMAIL US with websites containing Orange County Cemetery & Church Records.

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Orange County, VA Church & Bible Records

See Also Research In Church Records

Below is a list of online resources for Orange County Church & Bible Records. EMAIL US with websites links to Orange County Church & Bible Records Records.

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

Below is a list of online resources for Orange County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Orange County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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