Queens court receives funding for record digitization

The naturalization records offer a glimpse into Queens’ history. Eagle photo by Rachel Vick.

By Rachel Vick 

The Queens and Bronx County Clerk’s offices received a federal grant that will allow for over 400,000 naturalization records stored in their courts to become the first comprehensive database in the country, the court system announced Monday.

The three-year grant, which the Eagle first reported on last week, was awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, through the United States National Archives and Records Administration.  Court personnel and students from St. John’s University will dedicate significant time to scanning and filing the records before engaging local residents and communities..

“It is our hope that increasing access to these vital records will benefit not only New York City and State residents, but anyone who is interested in learning more about their ancestry,” said Queens County Clerk Audrey Pheffer.

The naturalization records span centuries, from the 1700s until the 1950s, when they were no longer filed at the county level.

The grant proposal was written by Ray Weaver, the records management officer for the Queens County Clerk. Weaver said that if more records are scanned, more people will have access to the documents that are already open to the public. 

“If everyone can get theirs online it can become a simple search,” Weaver said.

Project partners include the New York City Department of Records and Information Services, the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, the Queens Public Library and St. John’s University.