Created December 27, 1817 from Adams and Clermont counties, named for Gen. Jacob Brown of the War of 1812 · county seat Georgetown. Repository addresses, online record links, and a free printable record checklist below.
Short episodes that walk through Brown County's records, one record type at a time.
Formation · Settlers & Migration · Probate · Land · Tax · Churches · Newspapers · Where to Look
Watch on YouTube510 East State St., Suite 1, Georgetown, OH 45121 · (937) 378-6549
browncountyprobatejuvenilecourt.com
Marriage records (1818–present), wills/estates/guardianships/trusts (1818–present), and birth/death records 1867–1908 — pre-1909 vitals live here, not at the Health Department.
800 Mt. Orab Pike, Suite 151, Georgetown, OH 45121 · (937) 378-6478
Deeds, land records, mortgages, plat books, and a Cemetery Plat Book — useful for locating burial plots.
101 S. Main Street #1, Georgetown, OH 45121 · (937) 378-3100
Divorces, civil suits (including partition suits that divide land among heirs), and Common Pleas journals. Before 1852, this court also handled wills and estates.
800 Mt. Orab Pike, Georgetown, OH 45121 · (937) 378-6398
realestate.browncountyauditor.org
Current tax lists and property transfer records. Early tax duplicates are on FamilySearch and at the Ohio History Connection.
200 W. Grant Ave., Georgetown, OH 45121 · (937) 378-3197
marysheltonlibrary@gmail.com · browncountypubliclibrary.org/content/genealogy-resources
In-library Ancestry Library Edition, FamilySearch, Find A Grave, and Ohio Death Indexes access.
200 E. Cherry St. / PO Box 83, Georgetown, OH 45121 · (937) 378-2746 · br.co.genealogy@gmail.com
Open Thu & Sat, 12–5 PM
Also serves as the Brown County OGS chapter. Genealogical research library and family files for Brown and surrounding counties.
Georgetown, OH 45121
A separate organization from the Genealogical Society. Maintains three sites: the Museum (former county jail), the Old Timers Building, and the Washburn-Dixon Log House at the fairgrounds.
Current phone number and PO Box could not be confirmed with confidence — call the Genealogical Society above for a current referral.
9116 Hamer Road, Suite 101, Georgetown, OH 45121 · (937) 378-6892
browncountyhealth.org — Vital Statistics
Births/deaths 1909–present, $25/certified copy. Pre-1909 records are at Probate Court above.
Find A Grave — Brown County, Interment.net — Brown County, and the Recorder's Office Cemetery Plat Book.
Not sure which office has what? See Which County Office Holds What.
Many Brown County record books are filmed and free to view at FamilySearch (free account required).
In Full-Text Search, add Brown County, Ohio as the place to find names inside handwritten deeds, wills, and court books. How to use it.
Brown County was formed in 1817 from Adams and Clermont Counties. For records made before then, search the parent counties:
All of Brown County lies in the Virginia Military District, land Virginia set aside for its Revolutionary War veterans. It was surveyed in irregular metes and bounds, and the first owners' records follow a warrant, entry, survey, and patent trail.
Titles that covered Brown County, historic and current, with where to search each one. Not every historic title has been digitized — several survive only on microfilm.
| Title | Years | Where to Search |
|---|---|---|
| The News Democrat (Georgetown) | 1888–current | Current at newsdemocrat.com; historical scans (from ~1906) on GenealogyBank and OldNews.com |
| The Democratic Standard (Georgetown) | 1840–1859 | Chronicling America |
| The Ripley Bee | 1848–1880 | Chronicling America |
| The Ripley Bee and Times | 1880–1887 | Cataloged on Chronicling America — check Union Township Public Library, Ripley for microfilm |
| The Georgetown Gazette | 1905–1925 | Microfilm only — check Union Township Public Library or Brown County Historical Society |
| The Southern Ohio Argus (Georgetown) | 1859–1864 | Microfilm only — check Union Township Public Library, Ripley |
Fill in what you're looking for, print it, and take it with you to the courthouse or library.
Brick Walls & Buckeyes
brickwallsbuckeyes.com · Brown County, Ohio
Addresses and links last checked October 2026.
County guides, record walkthroughs, and brick wall breakthroughs. Subscribe on YouTube and tap the bell so new episodes find you.
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