Bartholomew County Genealogy Records

Bartholomew County genealogy records are held at several offices in Columbus, Indiana. The county health department handles birth and death certificates, while the clerk's office in Columbus holds marriage licenses, court records, and archived probate filings. Researchers tracing family history in Bartholomew County will find records dating back to the 1800s across these county offices and the Bartholomew County Historical Society.

Bartholomew County Health Department

The Bartholomew County Health Department at 440 Third Street, Columbus, IN 47201 maintains vital records for genealogy research. Birth and death records go back to 1882, in line with when Indiana counties began keeping these documents. The main phone number is 812-379-1550, with an alternate line at 812-376-3001. Email inquiries go to bartholomew@isdh.in.gov. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Staff at the health department include Link Fulp as Director and Beth Lewis as Registrar. For genealogy requests, you will want to speak with the vital records registrar directly. Birth and death records can be ordered in person or by mail. Remote ordering is also available through VitalChek for Indiana county records. The local health department map confirms the Bartholomew County office location and hours.

Note: For genealogy records at the state level, the individual named on the certificate must be over 75 years old and deceased before access is granted under IDOH rules.

Bartholomew County Clerk and Archives

The Bartholomew County Clerk's Office is at 234 Washington St., Columbus, IN. Their phone is 812/379-1600. Marriage license applications are handled by appointment only, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. or 2:00 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Couples can begin the application online at courts.in.gov/marriage. The fee is $29 for Indiana residents and $69 for out-of-state applicants. This fee schedule gives genealogy researchers a data point: if an ancestor paid a higher fee, they may have been living outside Indiana at the time of marriage.

It is important for genealogy researchers to know that the Bartholomew County Clerk's Office no longer performs genealogy searches or background checks. That policy changed, and the clerk now directs researchers to other offices and resources. However, the archives office at 234 Washington St, reachable at 812/379-1503, holds deeds, estates, circuit court records, probate records, state court records, common pleas, and cemetery records. In August 2017, the clerk's office transferred many old probate, civil, criminal order, and other miscellaneous books to the Indiana State Archives building in Indianapolis. If you need early Bartholomew County court records, contacting IARA at (317) 591-5220 may be the right next step.

The clerk's website at bartholomew.in.gov/clerk.html has current information on which records are held locally and how to request them.

Bartholomew County Historical Society

The Bartholomew County Historical Society at 524 Third Street, Columbus, IN 47201 is an important stop for deep genealogy research. Their phone is 812-372-3541. The society is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is free, with donations accepted. Their website at bartholomewhistory.org describes the collections and how to plan a research visit.

The historical society holds local newspapers, family files, photographs, county maps, and early records not found in government offices. If you are trying to trace a specific family or farm in Bartholomew County before 1900, the society's archives are worth a visit. Their volunteers can help guide researchers to the right collection. You can also contact them in advance to ask whether they hold specific family surnames or community records relevant to your genealogy project.

The health department page below is where Bartholomew County vital records requests begin:

Visit the Bartholomew County Health Department page for details on ordering birth and death records used in genealogy research.

The Indiana State Library's county research guides include a Bartholomew County-specific guide that lists which records exist locally and which have been transferred to state repositories.

State Genealogy Resources for Bartholomew County

The Indiana State Library Genealogy Division in Indianapolis is a strong resource for Bartholomew County family history. Their Indiana County Research Guides include detailed information on Bartholomew County records. The library at 315 W Ohio St can be reached at 317-232-3689 and is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Because the Bartholomew County Clerk transferred older records to IARA in 2017, the Indiana Archives and Records Administration at 6440 E 30th St, Indianapolis is now essential for pre-transfer genealogy research in this county. Call (317) 591-5220 before visiting to confirm which Bartholomew County records are now held there. This saves time and helps you plan your research trip efficiently.

Under Indiana Code 5-14-3, public records in Indiana are generally open to inspection. The specific provision at IC 5-14-3-4 notes that records classified as confidential become available 75 years after creation. For Bartholomew County genealogy, this means many records from the early 1900s and before are now fully accessible. The Indiana Historical Society at (317) 232-1882 holds manuscripts and photographs from across Indiana, including material relevant to Bartholomew County history.

The Indiana Archives and Records Administration site is shown below:

The Indiana Archives and Records Administration holds Bartholomew County court records transferred from the clerk's office in 2017, making it essential for pre-transfer genealogy research.

IARA staff can help you identify which specific Bartholomew County records were transferred and how to submit a research request for those documents.

Online and Remote Genealogy Access

For Bartholomew County genealogy researchers who cannot visit Columbus in person, several remote options exist. VitalChek processes Indiana vital record orders online for a fee. The Indiana Department of Health at 2 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis accepts mail orders using Form 49607 for births and Form 49606 for deaths. Payment by check or money order is accepted for mail orders.

The FamilySearch Indiana Genealogy wiki has free digitized records and indexes that cover Bartholomew County. The Indiana Genealogical Society is another free resource with guides for county-specific research. For marriage license records started online at courts.in.gov/marriage, an in-person appointment at the Bartholomew County Clerk's Office is still required to finalize and receive the license. Genealogy searches are no longer handled by the clerk's office directly, so plan your research through the health department, IARA, and the historical society instead.

Cities in Bartholomew County

Columbus is the largest city in Bartholomew County and is the county seat where all vital records and genealogy documents are filed. Columbus has its own city page with additional resources.

Other communities in Bartholomew County such as Hope, Edinburgh, Hartsville, and Flat Rock do not meet the qualifying threshold for separate city pages. Genealogy records for those communities are maintained at the county-level offices in Columbus.

Nearby Counties

Bartholomew County is in south-central Indiana. If you are tracing ancestors who lived along county lines, check the surrounding county genealogy pages as well.