How to Find Out the History of Your House

If only the walls could talk. For those who want to know the history of their home, we don't blame you. Whether it's a centuries-old farmhouse, a Victorian beauty or a modern new building, every home has a story to tell (although some are more interesting than others). . Researching a home's history will not only help you better appreciate its quirks and charms, but it can also be useful for conservation purposes. Fortunately, with the help of the Internet, there are many ways to research the history of a home. Here are 12 ways to learn the history of your home. 

Search the registry of deeds

Start by researching the chores of your home. Visit your local registrar's website or visit the office in person to find the deed. After you know the name of the previous owner, look for proof of ownership when he was the owner. The deed will include the name of the person from whom they purchased the home. Go back as far as possible. Registration records cannot be returned to the original owner. If so, ask the staff where the items before their entry can be found.

Check the National Registry of Historic Places

Start by researching the chores of your home. Visit your local registrar's website or visit the office in person to find the deed. After you know the name of the previous owner, look for proof of ownership when he was the owner. The deed will include the name of the person from whom they purchased the home. Go back as far as possible. Registration records cannot be returned to the original owner. If so, ask the staff where the items before their entry can be found.

Ask your Realtor

Before you move into a new home, ask your real estate agent about your home's history. They should be able to tell you if the home is in a designated historic area. A good real estate agent will also help you find the names of previous owners. If your home is located in a historic district, be aware that some rules and regulations may apply. These rules, which often apply to the exterior of your home, help maintain the overall look and feel of the neighborhood. However, many homeowners find regulations restrictive. Before you buy a property, make sure you're prepared for all the challenges of owning a historic home. You can also use Realtor.com's property search engine and property listing.

Contact previous owners

If you get a chance to meet the sellers, ask what they know about the home. Chances are they will be more than happy to share the story of the house. In fact, they may even consider it a selling point. If this is not possible, contact them after moving in. Once you know the identity of the previous owner and find their contact information, try to contact them. They can share what they know about the history of the house as well as their memories of living there. If you're lucky, the previous tenant might even knock on your door, wanting to go back to his old house. Take the opportunity to ask them questions. They may provide more information than you expect.

Look up old census records

Curious who lived in the home long before you? Start by researching old census records. You should be able to discover the names of family members who lived in the home, as well as their ages, birth states, the year of immigration, marriage status, occupations, personal belongings and other interesting information. According to the National Archives, not all of this information is available for every census. For instance, from 1790 to 1840, only the “head of household” is listed in census records.

Visit a local library, historical society or preservation foundation

Your local library may contain a wealth of information, including history books, maps, old newspapers, censuses, drawings, and photographs. The last two things can help you determine when your home is being added or changed. Photos can also help confirm historical events such as battles that took place on the spot or visits by famous figures like the president. Note that if your city or town was once part of another city, you can also view that community's library. When researching the history of a home or neighborhood, I strongly recommend contacting your local library to arrange a review of photographs, maps, articles, and reports of historic landmarks. history in their archive. Other places worth checking out include your local historic society or conservation center. These organizations will store and archive important photographs and documents, as well as organize exhibitions and events related to the city. Conservation funds also work to preserve, protect, and beautify historic buildings and neighborhoods.

Head to a nearby battlefield

If your home is located near where a Revolutionary War or Civil War battle was fought, you may want to visit to learn if your home could possibly have played a role as a base, staging ground or field hospital. View the exhibits to find out general information about the battle, its boundaries, and whether prominent locals were involved. Then, ask staff to help you identify whether your home could have been involved in some way.

Research Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps

The Sanborn Map Company has been publishing maps for nearly 100 years to help insurers assess the risk of insuring a particular property. These maps contain contours of buildings of the time, size, shape, construction material (red brick building, yellow wooden building), purpose (apartment, doctor's office, etc.) etc.), location of windows and doors. An elaborate system of abbreviations provided information ranging from whether the property had a basement and roof to whether it was adjacent to a Catholic church. You can access these maps through the Library of Congress. Just select the state where your home is located and click search. On the next page, select your city and browse the available maps for more information.

Explore the home and yard for clues

From the attic to the courtyard, there can be many existing clues to the home's history. Find clues about architectural styles, wallpapers from other eras, decorations, home accessories, and floor types. While the outer plate is obvious, you can find more subtle clues if you know what to look for. Hand-hewn wooden beams suggest that part of the house may be older than the woodwork with traces of a circular saw. Additionally, previous owners may have left useful personal items such as photos, memorabilia, and articles in the attic, basement, or buried in the yard. Repairs can reveal more clues. For example, previous owners may have left their names and dates on wooden beams hidden behind the walls. Or you can look for logos or company names on building materials that can help date them and shed light on when certain parts of the house were built.

Conduct a title search

Want to find out who lived in your home? Try conducting a title search. If you’re purchasing a new home, you’ll most likely do one of these anyway, as many buyers opt to pay for a professional title search. These title searches sift through tax records to show potential homebuyers the names of those who have legally owned the property from the beginning to the present day. This way, buyers know with absolute certainty that the person selling them the home is actually the owner. You can also perform a title search yourself using one of the many websites available to the public.

Read books on the area

Chances are good that there are books written about the history of your city or neighborhood. I recommend starting with The History Press, which publishes local history books throughout the U.S. Local bookstores and airport bookshops are also bound to sell plenty of books and literature written on the specific city or area of the country. Of course, if you can’t find anything in local bookstores, you can always search Amazon for guides and history books written about your city.

Tips to make researching easier

Knowing where to look for information about your home is just the beginning. As you research, you can take steps to make the process more successful and maybe even uncover a few secrets.

Make a binder.

The best way to keep track of your research is by keeping it all together in a binder. Gather all your notes and copies of documents pertaining to your home, and arrange them in chronological order. Slip each piece of information into a sleeve protector in the binder. If you want to display information about your home, consider creating two binders, a working binder containing all your research and one with the pictures, maps and newspaper articles visitors will find interesting.

Note all names.

During your research, you may come across different spellings of the same name. James Rogers may also appear as J. Rogers, Jas. Rogers and even James Rogers. Of course, James Rogers might be a completely different person, but you might not know it until you start digging deeper. Write down all the names, the dates associated with the name, and the origin of the name (document, article, census, etc.).

Don’t overlook small details.

Almost every element in your home can be a clue. Hand-hewn flooring can indicate that a part of the house is original, or at least very old. The installation of a window of a particular style or type of glazing can determine the repair date. Even an old knock on the door can give you clues about the previous owner's occupation. The more you read about the architecture of the period your house was built, the better you will be able to uncover these revealing details.

Pay attention to street names.

Over time, street names can change. Your house may be on Dixon Drive now, but at one time, the street may have been known as West Street. While this can be easy to spot on a map, you may miss crucial information in newspapers and documents because you’re looking for a home on Dixon Drive, not West Street.

Don’t believe everything.

Just because a map indicates your house had two chimneys in 1890 doesn’t mean it actually did. Maps, newspapers and documents get it wrong sometimes. Regardless of what you learn, confirm it with at least one other source, if possible. A photograph of the two chimneys would be ideal. You may also be able to tell by looking for structural evidence of a second chimney. Or, a previous owner may remember living in the house when there were two chimneys or even renovating the home to remove the chimney.

Measure your rooms.

From the attic to the backyard, there may be a number of existing clues about the history of a home. Look for clues in the style of architecture, wallpaper from other eras, décor elements, additions to the home, and the type of flooring. While an exterior plaque is obvious, you can uncover more subtle clues if you know what to look for. Hand-hewn wood beams indicate a portion of the house may be older than a section constructed from wood bearing the marks of a circular saw. Additionally, previous owners may have left behind helpful personal items, such as photos, mementos, and newspaper articles in the attic, in the basement, or buried in the yard.

Renovations can reveal even more clues. For example, previous owners may have left their name and date on wood beams hidden behind walls. Or, you could discover company logos or names on building materials that could help date them and shed light on when certain parts of your home were constructed.

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