Finding Your Home's History

If you want to learn the historical journey of a home, get details about its architecture, or find out how the dynamics of the neighborhood have changed throughout the years, there are many resources available. But where to start?

Read more: Houses With a Past

Where to Start

To begin the journey, Jessica Leigh Hester from CityLab suggests looking up building and property records, including permits. This information can easily be found by searching county archives, visiting your local courthouse or your local historical society. For a list of state-by-state historical societies, visit this site. Local historical societies offer many resources, including maps, old photos, real estate listings from the past that can show the change to the neighborhood throughout the years.

Dig Deeper

The next step in finding out the history of your property is starting with the recent past, Hester adds. This involves visiting your local library to find newspaper archives. Home history search is actually one of the most common requests for librarians. Many libraries also keep building permits on file, which is basically the birth certificate for your house, and is considered "the one most important piece of paper you can locate," says Jerry McCoy, Special Collections Librarian at the DC Public Library. Librarians can help you access old city directories, which can help you find out more about the people who previously lived in the home, but some city directories are actually available online.

To discover the evolution of your neighborhood,  Sanborn Maps are a valuable resource. These maps are large-scale plans for the city, and are online for those with Pro-Quest access, and available at your local library for free.

More Resources

You can visit the Public Records Online Directory to find your local public records website.

This short video from REALTOR® Magazine will help create a dynamic listing about your home's historical journey when it's time for you're ready to sell.

Source: "It's Easier Than Ever to Discover Your Home's History," CityLab (April 28, 2015) and  "Detailing Your Listing's History," REALTOR® Magazine (July, 2014)