Alamance County Genealogy
- Formed 1849
- Parent county / earlier Orange
- County seat Graham
- Neighbors caswell, orange, chatham, randolph, guilford, rockingham
Photos & maps
What’s new
- Charleston-class research hub: history essay, record matrix, towns, repositories, and local history news.
- Formation 1849 from Orange — search parents for earlier events.
- Seat: Graham · Library: Alamance County Public Libraries.
- Method guides: Start here · Formation · Census.
In-depth topics
Towns & communities
Alamance County was formed in 1849 from Orange. The county seat is Graham. Neighboring counties include caswell, orange, chatham, randolph, guilford, rockingham.
This hub combines a modern research floor—record matrix, towns, repositories, news—with local history narrative. Always search parent jurisdictions for pre-formation events.
The area that is now Alamance County was originally inhabited by several indian tribes. The first permanent European settlements occurred in the mid 1700s. The county itself was formed in 1849 from Orange County. It was named after Alamance Creek, site of the Battle of Alamance (May 16, 1771), in which militia under the command of Governor William Tryon crushed the Regulator movement. The Regulator movement was made up of mostly farmers which faced off against the North Carolina Militia led by Governor Tryon. This gave an indicator of sentiment against the British colonial power. This area was also the site of minor skirmishes during the American Revolution leading up to the battle of Guilford Courthouse.
In the 1800's textile mills became an important industry. In the aftermath of the Civil War, Alamance County was known as the place of an incident called the Kirk-Holden War an 1870 confrontation between locals and an Army colonel.
Graham is the county seat of Alamance County, NC. Alamance County is home to the Alamance Battleground Historic Site.
Alamance County Genealogy Resources
- Alamance County Site - information about the Brick Church area
- Alamance County NCGenWeb Site
- Alamance County NCGenWeb Archives
Alamance County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 3052
Burlington, NC 27215-3052
Alamance County Historical Museum
4777 S NC Highway 62
Burlington, NC 27215-9295
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Alamance County Government
Alamance County Courthouse
1 Court Square
Graham, NC 27253
(336) 438-1002
County History from Alamance County site
Alamance County Public Libraries
May Memorial Library
342 S. Spring St.
Burlington, North Carolina 27215
Census links
- 1850 Census Mortality Schedule
- 1850 Census index (last names only)
- 1850 Federal Census Images
- 1860 Census Mortality Schedule
- 1870 Census Mortality Schedule
- 1870 Federal Census Images
- 1870 Census - Poor House
- 1870 U.S. Soldiers Census
- 1880 Census Mortality Schedule
- 1880 Census - Poor House
Cemeteries
The following Cemeteries are in Alamance County.
Alamance Memorial Park
Graham Memorial Park
Linwood Cemetery
Magnolia Cemetery
Moores Chapel Cemetery
Northlawn Cemetery
Pine Hill Cemetery
USGS listing of cemeteries in Alamance County
Cemetery Transcriptions
Query Forums
Cities and towns of Alamance County:
- Alamance
- Altamahaw-Ossipee
- Burlington
- Elon College
- Gibsonville
- Glen Raven
- Graham (County Seat)
- Green Level
- Haw River
- Mebane
- Saxapahaw
- Swepsonville
- Woodlawn
- Elon
News related to Alamance County, NC
History notes
Alamance County (formed 1849 from Orange; seat Graham) is a textile Piedmont county whose research rule is parent Orange first for pre-1849 events. Burlington-area industry later creates directories, mill churches, and newspapers that dominate 20th-century work.
Local history & events
- Group works to refurbish, promote legacy of Alamance County African American cemetery - FOX8 WGHP
- Cummings’ D’Anna Cotton’s career sent her jumping to historic high school success - alamancenews.com
- Alamance County was among North Carolina’s hardest-hit counties in a power outage Friday morning - WXII
- ABSS vs. County mediation to begin Monday - alamancenews.com
- Legal Notices, Thursday, June 18, 2026 - alamancenews.com
- Alamance becomes drought's ground zero - Burlington Times-News
Research tools
Record availability matrix
| Record type | Coverage | Years (approx.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal census | good | 1790–1950 | Federal schedules available for NC with known quirks/losses in some years. Place the household in the correct county for each decade. Before 1849, search parent jurisdiction: Orange. |
| Birth records | sparse | 1915– | Statewide birth registration is comparatively late in NC. Use delayed births, church registers, Bibles, and census for earlier generations. Before 1849, search parent jurisdiction: Orange. |
| Marriage records | partial | 1849– | County marriage records improve in the 19th–20th centuries; earlier events often appear in church books, bonds, or newspapers. Before 1849, search parent jurisdiction: Orange. |
| Death records | partial | 1915– | Death certificates denser after statewide registration; earlier deaths via obituaries, church burial, probate, and cemeteries. Before 1849, search parent jurisdiction: Orange. |
| Land & deeds | good | 1849– | Deeds/ROD series typically begin near county formation; colonial grants/plats may predate the county and live at State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1849, search parent jurisdiction: Orange. |
| Probate & estates | good | 1849– | Wills, administrations, and equity files are core sources. Courthouse losses push research to neighbors, microfilm, and State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1849, search parent jurisdiction: Orange. |
| Church & parish | partial | varies | Church coverage varies by denomination and survival; check local societies and denominational archives. |
| Newspapers | varies | varies | Title survival varies widely. Search local weeklies plus larger regional papers; use Chronicling America and the State Library of North Carolina and DigitalNC. |
| Military | good | 1775– | Revolutionary through 20th-century service may generate pensions, CMSRs, and local militia notes. Pair with county context for battles and units. |
| Cemeteries | partial | varies | Published surveys, Find a Grave, churchyards, and family plots. Unmarked burials are common—use obituaries and church books. |
| Court records | partial | 1849– | Common pleas, sessions, and other court series often begin near formation; equity may be with or near probate. Before 1849, search parent jurisdiction: Orange. |
| Tax lists | sparse | varies | Tax lists can substitute for missing census years. Coverage is uneven by locality and year; check State Archives of North Carolina and published abstracts. |
Newspapers
Cemeteries & burial research
- Alamance County cemeteries (Find a Grave / surveys)
Societies & repositories
Research starting points
Census
Federal census schedules are foundational for Alamance County household reconstruction. Collect every decade, note neighbors (FAN club), and track the county name as it existed that year—especially across formation and split boundaries.
Vital records
North Carolina statewide vital registration expanded in the early 20th century. For many Alamance County families you will rely on marriage bonds, church registers, Bible records, newspapers, delayed births, and probate—not only a modern certificate.
Cemeteries (legacy notes)
Cemetery surveys for Alamance County appear in published books, Find a Grave, USGenWeb archives, churchyards, and family plots. Absence of a stone is not absence of burial—pair markers with obituaries and church books.
Courthouse & contacts
The county seat is Graham. Confirm current Register of Deeds, Clerk of Superior Court, and library hours before visiting—offices move and digital portals change.
Public library: Alamance County Public Libraries
If not found here, try…
- Formed 1849
- Parent / earlier jurisdiction Orange — check district-era records before this county existed (districts guide).
Neighboring counties (deeds, marriages, newspapers, and kin often cross the line):