Tax Records
Tax records, 1758 (very few) to 1988.
Description: A tax record is the sum assessed against an individual or corporation for support of the government.
Content: A tax record may show owner's name, location, brief description of taxable real & personal estate, assessed value and the amount of tax due. Early tax records may include the following categories: land in acres, improvements in land, grain, horses, mules, cattle, sheep, dogs, Negroes/mulattos, servants, tenants, mills (saw, grist, hemp), ferries, tanyards, distilleries, taverns, forges, household furniture, carriages, transportation vehicles, silver plate (includes teaspoons), gold, stocks, annuities, trade/occupation and recruits for the continental army (1781). Individuals may include men/women, widows, single men, inmates (married men who did not own real estate), non-residents and the poor. Exempt tax payers include churches, schools, toll houses, burial grounds, fire companies, courthouses, jails, poorhouses, public parks, hospitals, charity organizations, associations of learning and colleges. Prior to the 1950's tax records are listed only under the taxpayer's name and township or borough. From the 1950's on, tax records list addresses of owners after the names. Modern tax records provide names with addresses, location of property (district, block, map, parcel and kind), account number (major, minor, sub), assessed valuation (land, improvements and total) and the deed reference.
