Henrico County is one of Virginia’s original 1634 shires. Seat has shifted; modern research often pairs with the Independent City of Richmond.
Colonial and Revolutionary-era series may sit at Library of Virginia rather than only the modern courthouse.
Newspapers
Title-by-title year ranges below are digitized holdings listed below (digitized issues), not always the full publication span.
Open each title to confirm gaps. Mastheads and successors change often.
Search Virginia Chronicle and Chronicling America for local and regional titles covering Henrico County. Confirm each title’s run dates before assuming continuous coverage.
Henrico County public library / local history desk
library
· Henrico
Start with the county public library local history desk or Virginia room for Henrico. Hours and catalog portals change—verify before visiting. Pair with Library of Virginia catalogs and Virginia Chronicle for newspapers.
Search for active historical and genealogical societies serving Henrico County. Names and websites change; VAGenWeb and Library of Virginia society lists are good discovery points.
Early vital events: parish, church, and family sources first.
Always cite repository and series. This site’s guidance is a starting map, not a substitute for the clerk’s inventory.
Census
Federal census; tithables/tax for earlier decades.
Complement census with tax lists and, where available, city directories.
Courthouse & contacts
Henrico County courthouse (modern complex). Use LVA for older series and chancery.
If not found here, try…
Virginia brick walls are often jurisdiction problems.
When a deed, probate, or vital is missing here, try the parent district for the
event year and neighboring counties for kin who lived across the line—not a
substitute for later statewide birth/death registration.
Formed 1634
Parent / earlier jurisdiction
Original shire (1634) — check district-era records before this county existed
(districts guide).
Formation, place-names, and series notes on this hub will cite standard Virginia references.
Always verify at the repository—fires and thin series vary by book and decade.
State encyclopedia / published historical essays — search for Henrico County topics.
County formation & boundaries
Virginia county formation and independent-city research — verify in Library of Virginia guides (this county formed 1634).
See also the
counties & formation guide when published.
Place-names & communities
Virginia place-names, former communities, and watercourses (local histories + GNIS).