Masks are required for unvaccinated visitors and strongly encouraged for all.
Masks are required for all in the Children's Center. More information here.
Partner with the Genealogical Society of Bergen County
Heritage Resources
Finding Aids
Finding aids are tools to help you find information on a collection.
Postcards
Ridgewood collection.
The Archives has over 100 cataloged photographs and 150 postcards. These are indexed and can be viewed, printed, and downloaded using the Heritage CATalog. They are mostly pictures of downtown Ridgewood but include some houses, streetscapes, and other scenes.
Books
BHC collection
Books that we own can be identified by using the BCCLS online library catalog and by using the HERITAGE CATALOG. Ridgewood books are found in HERITAGE REF 974.922. See especially:
Picturesque Ridgewood, 1898
Ridgewood Past and Present, 1916
The History of a Village, 1964
Celebrating a Centennial: A History of Ridgewood , New Jersey, 1994
Ridgewood: Images of America,1999
For more titles, see catalogs or browse shelf.
Local
Newspapers
BHC collection
We have Ridgewood and Bergen County newspapers on microfilm (2nd floor):
Bergen Record 1970-2013 microfilm
Ridgewood newspapers 1891-2012 microfilm
Early Bergen County newspapers 1858-1938 microfilm
Digital Access to Ridgewood News and Bergen Record (IN LIBRARY USE ONLY)
Newsapers.com (Ridgewood News from 1891-present day)
Click here if you have an obituary request.
CD Roms
BHC collection
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The collection of CD ROMs is divided into reference, immigration, and geographic areas. Some of this information is now online, but treasures may await you.
Programs
With permission from speakers, here are some recorded programs from the BHC.
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Assessing Women in Politics
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A is for Artistry Virtual Tour
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A Home Divided: The Hermitage During the American Civil War
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Developing Skills in Identifying 19th Century Photography
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Developing Skills in Identifying 18th Century Cased Furniture
Maps
Ridgewood Research
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Hopkins-Corey Map of Bergen and Passaic Counties, 1861. ON DISPLAY
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New York-Palisades Map, 1867. CALL AHEAD
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Walker's Atlas of Bergen County, 1876. Reprint: HERITAGE REF 917.4921 WAL Original: CALL AHEAD
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Millar's Directory Street Map, 1897. HERITAGE REF 974.922 MIL
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Ridgewood Assessment Map, 1908. CALL AHEAD
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Ridgewood Assessment Map, 1913. CALL AHEAD
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Bromley Atlas , 1913: Index in Heritage Catalog. To view atlas CALL AHEAD
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Ridgewood Assessment Map, 1925. CALL AHEAD
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Ridgewood Sanborn Insurance Map, 1916, 1925, 1928, & 1930 CALL AHEAD
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Ridgewood Assessment Map, 1969, Sheets 13-50. CALL AHEAD
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Ridgewood Assessment Maps. On Village Website
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To view any of the maps please make an appointment with the Local History Librarian: email heritagecenter@ridgewoodlibrary.org or call 201-670-5600 x135
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To view Rutgers University digital collection of NJ maps, click here.
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To view online Bergen County Maps, click here.
Records
Newspapers, programs, manuscripts, etc.
The Local History Archives has a collection of newspaper clippings, programs, manuscripts, town publications, etc. Use the Heritage Catalog as an index and make an appointment to view the item in our collection or on microfilm.
City Directories
BHC collection
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Millar's Directory for the Village of Ridgewood, 1897, photocopy and microfilm
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Breed Directory of the Erie Railroad, 1898
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Breed Directory of the Erie Railroad, 1904-1915 (towns from Hawthorne, NJ to Suffern, NY and beyond), microfilm
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Price & Lee Directories for Ridgewood and vicinity
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Ridgewood, 1926-1973; Glen Rock, 1926-1973; Midland Park, 1926-1973; Fair Lawn, 1931-1973; Ho-Ho-Kus, 1950-1973
House History
Guide
House History Research
The Heritage Center has many resources for researching Ridgewood's neighborhoods, homes and buildings. For help in your research, see the following resources:
Bergen County Historic Sites Survey - Village of Ridgewood, HERITAGE REF 974.922 BER
Ridgewood Herald Illustrated Supplement, 1919. Indexed in the Heritage CATalog
Insurance and Tax Maps
For examples of house histories, click here.
Cemeteries &
Churches
How to locate records
The HERITAGE REF collection includes cemetery, church, and vital records for many towns in Bergen County. For complete listings see:
Other New Jersey Counties Vital Records
In the BHC you can find the records in section HERITAGE REF 929.374921:
Paramus Reformed Church records, 1740-1850 and 1799-1900
Valleau Cemetery records, to ca. 1940
True Dutch Reformed Church of Paramus records, 1823-1903
Paramus Plains Cemetery, Records of Burials & Removals
The BHC also maintains a copy of the Budke Collection - Tombstone Inscriptions Volume 5.
Periodicals
BHC collection
Magazines, quarterlies, and newsletters provide information on genealogy as well as genealogical records and family genealogies.
Census Data
BHC collection
For Federal Census use Ancestry Library Edition (in library) or familysearch.org.
For New Jersey State Census, see microfilm in the Library.
NJ State Census, 1870: US Agricultural Census for Atlantic and Gloucester Counties available as well on microfilm.
Other Resources
Other resources
Ridgewood:
Bergen County: