Why We Built This House
For years, families who wanted to preserve their heritage had to choose between two extremes: automated genealogy printouts that list names and dates like a telephone directory, or open-ended hourly research retainers that cost thousands of dollars and end in a technical report.
Our house brings together three disciplines that are almost always separated:
- Primary-source archival research across US Federal Censuses, port arrival manifests, military files, and European civil, parish, and notarial registers.
- Historical narrative writing that places your ancestors’ lives, trades, and migrations into clear, readable American English prose.
- Bespoke editorial layout and hardcover binding where authentic archival facsimiles, transcriptions, maps, and family photographs sit side by side.
Our Four Editorial Rules
- Every important claim is tied to an identifiable record. When we state a date, an address, a ship name, or a regiment, the corresponding document is either reproduced in the spread or cited in the archival index at the back of the book.
- A hypothesis is never presented as a fact. Where records are silent or two sources conflict, we say so plainly and explain why.
- Nothing goes to press without your written approval. Every commission includes three full rounds of family review on the illustrated proof.
- Absolute privacy by default. Your family’s book, photographs, and lineage tree are never uploaded to public genealogy databases or indexed online.
Contact the House
You can request a complimentary 48-hour feasibility study using the form below, or write directly to contact@familyhistorypress.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
01Where is the house based, and why does that matter for American families?
Founded in France as Les Grands Papiers and operating in the United States as Family History Press, our house works natively across both sides of the Atlantic: US Federal and State records (NARA, USCIS, Ellis Island, state vital records) and European departmental, municipal, and parish archives. When an American family tree leads back to a European port or village, we do not stop at the water’s edge.
02How many books do you produce at a time?
Only a small number of commissions each month. Because every book requires primary-source archival research, historical narrative writing, custom cartography, and three rounds of proofreading with your family, we never mass-produce or outsource your family’s history to automated templates.