Archives and Records Management

Town of Concord Archives

The mission of the Town Archives is to collect, catalog, preserve, and provide access to the permanent and historically significant municipal records of the Town of Concord. The Town Archives supports the Town and its residents by preserving Town records and making these records known and available to researchers, students, genealogists, scholars, authors, and anyone else who may wish to research the workings and history of New England town government.

The holdings of the Town of Concord Archives include historical vital records (births, deaths, and marriages), town meeting minutes, select board records, annual reports, early town records (1635-1836), and the records of other departments, boards, and committees. We are working to create a much more detailed catalog of our holdings as well as make many of these records available digitally through our digital repository.

The Town Archives is managed by the Municipal Archivist who works closely with the Curator for Special Collections of the Concord Free Public Library. For questions regarding the holdings of the Town of Concord Archives or to request access please contact us by email, mail, or phone. Written email requests are preferred so that we can provide you with a detailed response.

Contact Information

Municipal Archivist/Records Manager: Nathanial Smith
Address:
55 Church Street
Concord, MA 01742
Email:
 nsmith@concordma.gov
Phone: 978-318-3064

Digital Repository

The Municipal Archives is now hosting select records in the Town of Concord Archives Digital Repository. In the coming months we hope to add additional digital collections. If you have any questions or suggestions for records that you would like to see added, please contact the municipal archivist. Current highlights include:

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to questions we often receive:
  • Is my request an archives request or a public records request?
    Town Records are moved, or accessioned, to the Town Archives when they are no longer in active use by the department, board, or committee that created them. In most cases, records created 50 years ago or earlier (pre-1970) have been moved to the Town Archives. For the quickest response, submit archives requests to the Municipal Archivist at the contact information above and follow the Town’s Public Records Access Guidelines for Public Records Requests.
  • Is there a difference between the Town Archives and the Special Collections at the Concord Free Public Library?
    The Town Archives consist of official records produced by the governmental entities of Concord. The Special Collections are much more wide ranging covering records from all parts of Concord history, life, landscape, literature, people, and influence from 1635 to the present day.
  • Where are the Town Archives located?
    Many of the Town Archives collections are stored at the Concord Free Public Library as part of an agreement between the Library and the Town. In addition to the Municipal Archivist and Town Clerk, the Curator of Special Collections can provide access to these records to researchers. Additional records are stored at other Town Buildings. Depending on your request, we will make an appointment at the appropriate location for you to review the records.

Record Management Resources

All records generated by the Town of Concord are subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Records Management Unit provides a number of Records Management Resources including the Municipal Retention Schedule and the Application for Destruction Permission. In addition, the Town Records and Archives Committee produced the Records Management Procedures in 2010. Additional guidance and procedures will be developed in accordance with the Town Records Management Bylaw, which was updated in 2019.