How do I Find Historic Facts on Houses?

When seeking historical facts on a house, prepare to investigate the past. Putting time and energy into proper research could pay off by uncovering the facts. Talking to families who have lived in the area for many years is a good idea. However, people's memories can fade over time and become unreliable. Finding the name of the original owner of the house should be the first fact to find. Begin at your local public library.

Internet
Public library card
Telephone
Phone book
Notebook
Pencil

Instructions

- 1
  Search the local library's historical documents for the county information that the house is in. The librarian will assist you with the documents that they have available for that address. Be prepared with a notebook and pencil to write down information that you may find. Some libraries do not allow copying or scanning of historical documents and they do not allow those documents to be checked out. Most libraries also require you to have a library card before viewing those documents.
- 2
  Search previous owners of the house. The archives should show you information for the house's history, such as the owner's names, marriages and sales of the house. The information of who lived in the house for certain time frames will be found on the county property census information.
- 3
  Look through the library's card catalog for that address. You can search for any fires, deaths or unusual occurrences that may have happened in the house or property. Old historic homes, especially in rural or small towns across the United States may have the information filed under headings such as Fire, Arson, Floods, Tornadoes or Deaths, instead of in computer systems. You can search under those headings and look for the address of the house.
- 4
  Search through the microfiche or microfilm and read old newspaper articles. Many archived old newspapers in smaller communities in the United States still use microfiche or microfilm. This method of viewing archived articles is similar to a large View Master Viewer. You simply lean into a viewing screen and twist a knob on the side of the machine to scan through the articles. Scanning these articles may help you find something in an old newspaper relating to the house.
- 5
  Check the information in a County Atlas. This could prove to be a valuable resource for fact finding.
- 6
  Speak with the local historical society in your area. Historical societies have an abundance of information about families and facts that may be helpful in your search.
- 7
  Visit with your local county clerk's office. They will have the information about the taxes that are paid, previous owners, lot dimensions and the block and lot.
- 8
  Search the Internet on sites that search genealogy house histories or census records. Some of these sites charge fees for their services.

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