Founded in 1981, the Mecklenburg Genealogical Society meets monthly to "foster interest in genealogy and to have fellowship between genealogists."

To this end, meetings feature speakers on such topics as early land records, wagon trails, photo restoration, research documentation, book publishing, library special collections, DNA testing, and use of computers in genealogy.

We maintain an Archives of resource books, maps, church and family histories, rosters of Revolutionary and Confederate soldiers, and large collections of research materials donated by members and friends.

The Society works with the Public Library of Charlotte-Mecklenburg County to bring speakers to the genealogical community and conducts cemetery surveys. It also publishes books and source records of interest to family historians, as well as the OMGS Quarterly magazine of articles about early settlers, Bible and church records, family histories, and information of interest to those who have roots in Mecklenburg County.

Click here for the index to OMGS Quarterly articles

With members from more than 40 states, the Society is a diverse group of all ages. It meets the second Wednesday of each month. The Hopewell Branch is a smaller group of OMGS members who meet in the northwestern part of Mecklenburg County.

The Hopewell Branch of the Mecklenburg Genealogical Society has the privilege of meeting in one of the most historic sites in Mecklenburg County—Hopewell Presbyterian Church. Dr. J. B. Alexander states in Biographical Sketches of the Hopewell Section, “There is, perhaps no more historic region in America than Mecklenburg County, and in that county no spot so conspicuous for men of daring and chivalric deeds in Revolutionary times as the Hopewell settlement.” Hopewell’s beginnings are best described by a quote from the Reverend Charles W. Sommerville, D. D.’s book, The History of Hopewell Presbyterian Church: “Hopewell’s first preacher was a missionary, the Rev. John Thomson; her birthplace was the home of Richard Barry and Ann Price Barry, his wife. In her first session was John McKnitt Alexander and her first pastor was Rev. Alexander Craighead; her first site was where she now stands. Fire has left unknown the exact date of her birth.” The recognized date for Hopewell’s organization is 1762. This date includes her in the “Seven Colonial Churches” of old Mecklenburg.

You are welcome to join us at our meetings on the second Saturday of each month at 10 a.m. July and August are our vacation months. At our meetings you may learn of a cousin unknown to you or find a cemetery location of a great-grandparent, even visit a home of a distant ancestor on some of our day trips. Hope to see you at Hopewell.

For more information on the Hopewell Branch, please contact Tina Brown, moderator.

Map to Hopewell Presbyterian Church.