The Westchester County Archives houses original recorded deed books dating from 1680 through 1930, and can provide online access to any deed ever recorded with the County Clerk’s office via the Clerk’s Westchester Records Online system. These deeds document the transfer of land in the County and can be accessed through either an alphabetical index of grantors (the individuals giving away the property) or grantees (the individuals receiving the property). These indexes are also available at the Archives or on the County Clerk's Westchester Records Online (see the Index Books tab under Land Records).
The text of deeds is fairly standard; with only the names of the parties, the boundaries and size of the property involved, and the price changing. Rarely are specific buildings mentioned in deeds. View a sample deed to get a better understanding of how the record may look.
Deed Records Available at the Westchester County Archives:
- Series 47 Deeds, 1680-1930
- Series 108 Deeds Index, Grantee, 1680-1907
- Series 34 Deeds Index, Grantor, 1680-1931
To locate a specific deed held by the Archives, the first step is to consult the Grantor or Grantee Index. This can either be done by visiting the Archives in person, using the indexes available on the County Clerk's Westchester Records Online Web site, or by submitting a Custom Research Request specifically asking that the appropriate index be searched for an individual or individuals. The more information that is available to the searcher when going through the index (such as approximate years, middle names or initials of the parties involved, etc.) to help narrow the search, the better. This will help limit the number of actual deeds that need to be reviewed.
Recorded deeds for 1931 through the present are maintained by the Land Records Division of the Westchester County Clerk in White Plains. Please visit or contact the Westchester County Clerk's office to obtain copies of post-1930 deeds.
If you have any questions regarding locating or using deeds at the Westchester County Archives, please contact us.