Crawford County Death and Obituary Records
Crawford County obituary and death records are held by the county Register of Wills and by the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records. Crawford County sits in northwestern Pennsylvania and is home to Meadville, the first permanent settlement in that part of the state. If you are searching for a Crawford County death record, this page explains where records are kept, what each office holds, and how to request certified copies of death certificates or historical death documents from county sources.
Crawford County Quick Facts
Crawford County Register of Wills
The Crawford County Register of Wills serves as Clerk of the Orphans' Court. The office holds death and birth records from 1893 to 1905. These county-level records predate Pennsylvania's mandatory statewide registration and are a primary resource for genealogical research in Crawford County. The office also holds marriage license records from 1885 to present and handles estate administration and probate matters for Crawford County residents.
The office is located at the Crawford County Judicial Center, 903 Diamond Park, Meadville, PA 16335. You can reach the Register of Wills at 814-333-7442 during office hours. Staff can assist with searches of historical Crawford County death records. Some older materials are stored on microfilm or off-site, so research visits may require advance notice. Fax requests for documents can be sent to 814-333-7349.
The Crawford County government portal is the main resource for finding department contacts and forms. Visit crawfordcountypa.net for links to the Register of Wills, the Prothonotary, and the Recorder of Deeds. The portal also links to an online records search for public access to court and county records.
The screenshot below was taken from the official Crawford County government website, which provides access to all county departments and records.
The Crawford County portal connects researchers directly to the Register of Wills, the office that holds the earliest local death records dating from 1893 through 1905.
| Office |
Crawford County Register of Wills 903 Diamond Park Meadville, PA 16335 Phone: 814-333-7442 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Records | Death and birth records 1893-1905; marriage licenses 1885-present; estate records |
| Fees | Death records $9.00; birth records $10.00; copies $1.00 per page; certification $6.00 |
Note: The Crawford County Register of Wills charges a $15.00 search fee for estate record lookups covering up to five names, which is worth factoring in if you plan to request multiple searches.
Crawford County Death Certificate Requests
Pennsylvania death certificates from 1906 forward are issued by the Division of Vital Records under the Department of Health. For any death in Crawford County from 1906 to the present, the state holds the official record. The governing law is the Vital Statistics Law of 1953, codified at 35 P.S. Section 450.101, and the regulations are at 28 Pa. Code Chapter 1.
To request a certified copy of a Crawford County death certificate, you can order online through VitalChek, by mail to the Division of Vital Records, PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103, or in person at one of the state's six walk-in vital records offices. The fee is $20 per certified copy. Mail orders take about three weeks to process. Expedited processing is available through VitalChek for an additional fee. Bring a valid photo ID and documentation of your relationship to the deceased if you are requesting a restricted record.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health death certificates page has full ordering instructions. For records of deaths that occurred more than 50 years ago, the Pennsylvania State Archives may have additional resources available online.
Historical Crawford County Obituary Records
Crawford County was formed from Allegheny County on March 12, 1800. It is named after William Crawford, a Revolutionary War soldier and frontier diplomat. Meadville, the county seat, was the first permanent settlement in northwestern Pennsylvania. That early history means Crawford County death and obituary records span a significant stretch of time. Local newspapers published in Meadville have run obituary notices for generations, and those newspaper archives are an important supplement to official death certificates.
The Crawford County historical record collection includes civil court records maintained by the Prothonotary at 903 Diamond Park, Meadville. Phone is 814-333-7324. The Prothonotary holds civil records and historical case files from 1800 to present. For estate disputes, wrongful death cases, or civil matters tied to a death, the Prothonotary is the right starting point. The Recorder of Deeds at the same address, reachable at 814-333-7305, holds property records from 1800 forward. These can connect to death records through estate property transfers.
For older death records from before 1893, church registers and cemetery records are the most reliable sources. Crawford County has a long history of settlement by religious communities whose churches maintained burial and death registers. The Crawford County Historical Society is a key resource for genealogical research in the county and can provide guidance on local collections and obituary indexes.
Note: Military discharge records for Crawford County veterans are maintained by the Recorder of Deeds and can help establish service dates, which sometimes appear in obituaries for veterans of early conflicts.
Pennsylvania State Archives and Crawford County
The Pennsylvania State Archives holds statewide vital statistics records covering deaths from 1906 through 1975. These records are indexed and partially searchable online at pa.gov death indices. The index provides names and basic identifying details. Once you find a match in the index, you can order the full record from the archives or the Division of Vital Records.
Pennsylvania has partnered with Ancestry.com to provide scanned images of older death certificates. Deaths from roughly 1906 through the mid-20th century may be available through this partnership. This is a free way to access scanned images for older Crawford County deaths without ordering a certified copy. The PA State Archives research online page explains how to access these materials.
For genealogy research, the state also provides a guide to all vital records resources at pa.gov/agencies/health/programs/vital-records/genealogy. The FamilySearch Pennsylvania vital records wiki is another free starting point, with collections that include Crawford County materials.
Genealogy Resources for Crawford County Deaths
Several resources serve Crawford County genealogical research. The Register of Wills office is the county's primary source for historical death records from 1893 to 1905 and for probate records that include death dates and estate information. The office's online records search portal provides public access to many county records without requiring an in-person visit.
Meadville's location in northwestern Pennsylvania means Crawford County families often had ties to neighboring counties in Ohio and New York as well as to other Pennsylvania counties. If a record is not found locally, checking Warren, Erie, Mercer, or Venango county records may help. The State Library vital records guide and the Library of Congress Pennsylvania vital records guide both point to statewide resources that can fill gaps when local records are incomplete.
The Pennsylvania Orphans' Court directory lists contact details for all county Orphans' Courts, including Crawford. The Orphans' Court handles wills, estate administration, and guardianship records. Probate files often contain death-related information and can be a key supplement to official death certificates.
Cities in Crawford County
No cities from our directory are currently listed for this county.
Nearby Pennsylvania Counties
Crawford County borders several other Pennsylvania counties. If you are uncertain which county holds the record you need, check the location of the death or the residence of the deceased at the time of death.