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Randolph County Genealogy

Last reviewed July 11, 2026

  • Formed 1779
  • Parent county / earlier Guilford
  • County seat Asheboro
  • Neighbors guilford, alamance, chatham, moore, montgomery, davidson

Photos & maps

Freely licensed images from Wikimedia Commons (and related open sources), cached locally for research context.

Historic view — Randolph County
Historic view Indy beetle · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Courthouse — Randolph County
Courthouse Upstateherd · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Map — Randolph County
Map US Census, Ruhrfisch, Dincher · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source

What’s new

  • Charleston-class research hub: history essay, record matrix, towns, repositories, and local history news.
  • Formation 1779 from Guilford — search parents for earlier events.
  • Seat: Asheboro · Library: Randolph County Public Library.
  • Method guides: Start here · Formation · Census.

In-depth topics

Towns & communities

10 places — view all town pages

Asheboro county seat High Point Staley Archdale Randleman Liberty Ramseur Trinity Franklinville Seagrove

Randolph County was formed in 1779 from Guilford. The county seat is Asheboro. Neighboring counties include guilford, alamance, chatham, moore, montgomery, davidson.

This hub combines a modern research floor—record matrix, towns, repositories, news—with local history narrative. Always search parent jurisdictions for pre-formation events.

Randolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2000, the population was 130,454. Its county seat is Asheboro. The center of population of North Carolina is located in Seagrove.

Some of the first settlers of what would become the county were English Quakers, who settled along the Haw and Deep River. Eno Rivers. The county was formed in 1779 from Guilford County. It was named for Peyton Randolph, first president of the Continental Congress.

Randolph County was the original location of what became Duke University.

The county is home to one of the last remaining covered bridges in the state. The Pisgah Covered Bridge, in Union Township, is in the southwestern part of the county and was destroyed by a flood in 2003, but has been completely restored and is still standing.

Source: WIkipedia.

Randolph County Genealogy Resources

Randolph County Genealogical Society
201 Worth Street
Asheboro, NC 27203

Randolph County Historical Society
201 Worth Street
Asheboro, NC 27203

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Randolph County Government

Randolph County Public Library
Randolph Room - Historical/Genealogy collection
201 Worth Street
Asheboro, NC 27203
Phone (336) 318-6815

Monday: 9am-5pm
Tuesday: 9am-9pm
Wednesday: 9am-9pm
Thursday: 9am-5pm
Friday: 9am-5pm
Saturday: 9am-5pm

Cities and Towns of Randolph County:

Townships:

Asheboro
Archdale
Back Creek
Brower
Cedar Grove
Coleridge
Columbia
Concord
Farmer
Franklinville
Grant
Level Cross
Liberty
New Hope
New Market
Pleasant Grove
Providence
Randleman
Richland
Tabernacle
Trinity
Union.

Census

1820 Randolph County Federal Census has not survived.

Cemeteries

Query Forums

News related to Randolph County, NC

History notes

Randolph County (formed 1779; seat Asheboro) is Quaker Piedmont territory with pottery/furniture town clusters. Parent Guilford/Orange strategies help early problems; church records often outperform civil vitals.

Local history & events

Recent news and notices about historic sites, heritage programs, reenactments, and local history related to Randolph County (and statewide North Carolina heritage stories). Links open external publishers — verify details before traveling.

Updated automatically from public news feeds focused on history and heritage. See statewide local history news · Suggest an event

Research tools

Free printables for field sessions and home research nights.

Starter checklist Cheatsheet bundle Start here guide

Record availability matrix

Guidance for what tends to exist for this county—not a guarantee. Always verify at the repository. Statewide method notes: vitals, land, probate, census.

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 1779, search parent jurisdiction: Guilford.
Birth records sparse 1915– Statewide birth registration is comparatively late in NC. Use delayed births, church registers, Bibles, and census for earlier generations. Before 1779, search parent jurisdiction: Guilford.
Marriage records partial 1800– County marriage records improve in the 19th–20th centuries; earlier events often appear in church books, bonds, or newspapers. Before 1779, search parent jurisdiction: Guilford.
Death records partial 1915– Death certificates denser after statewide registration; earlier deaths via obituaries, church burial, probate, and cemeteries. Before 1779, search parent jurisdiction: Guilford.
Land & deeds good 1779– Deeds/ROD series typically begin near county formation; colonial grants/plats may predate the county and live at State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1779, search parent jurisdiction: Guilford.
Probate & estates good 1779– Wills, administrations, and equity files are core sources. Courthouse losses push research to neighbors, microfilm, and State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1779, search parent jurisdiction: Guilford.
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 1779– Common pleas, sessions, and other court series often begin near formation; equity may be with or near probate. Before 1779, search parent jurisdiction: Guilford.
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

Selected titles and research notes for this county. Confirm runs and repositories—mastheads change often.

  • Randolph County local newspapers (verify titles by decade)
    Asheboro · Weekly/varies
    Start with DigitalNC, Chronicling America, and the county public library microfilm/digital portal. Title names change—search county + “herald”, “news”, “gazette”, “times”.
  • Regional / nearest city dailies
    Asheboro · Daily
    Many rural events appear first in larger nearby city papers (Raleigh, Charlotte, Greensboro, Asheville, Wilmington, etc.).

Statewide newspapers guide · Libraries & societies directory

Cemeteries & burial research

Starting points and portals—not a complete inventory of every graveyard in the county.

  • Randolph County cemeteries (Find a Grave / surveys)
    Asheboro
    Use Find a Grave, published surveys, churchyards, and USGS GNIS. Absence of a stone is not absence of burial.
    Find a Grave · More

Cemeteries research guide

Societies & repositories

Full societies & libraries directory

Research starting points

Census

Federal census schedules are foundational for Randolph 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 Randolph 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 Randolph 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 Asheboro. Confirm current Register of Deeds, Clerk of Superior Court, and library hours before visiting—offices move and digital portals change.

Randolph County government

Public library: Randolph County Public Library

If not found here, try…

North Carolina brick walls are often jurisdiction problems. Search parent districts and neighbors when deeds, probate, or vitals are missing.

  • Formed 1779
  • Parent / earlier jurisdiction Guilford — check district-era records before this county existed (districts guide).

Neighboring counties (deeds, marriages, newspapers, and kin often cross the line):

Guilford Alamance Chatham Moore Montgomery Davidson

Also use Start here, the counties & formation guide, and local history news for recent heritage context.