It’s a great feeling to find out more about your home, and the best way to do that is through research. There are many techniques you can use to get started with this type of project. To help you learn more, here are some tips on how you can research your home’s history.
Find a local historian
A historian can inform you about stories that have been handed down through generations and give insight into why certain things may have occurred along with other events that relate to your home. They know all kinds of great info on these topics because people often seek them out due to their knowledge base! If you cannot find a local historian, consider reaching out to older neighbors or relatives who might still live in the neighborhood/area around the house.
Search city land records
If you have access to the local government office where your home was built or bought, they should be able to provide detailed information about who owned the property and when. You might also want to inquire about what kinds of things may have been going on in that area during a specific period—this could contribute significantly to your research! Plus, this is often free if you can go into their offices yourself. Otherwise, you can usually request this information online for a fee.
Look for local records
If there was a story about your house that you heard growing up, the information might be already out there. This includes news articles and even advertisements in old newspapers or pamphlets. You can also contact historical societies or museums to ask them if they have any material on the topic of interest (e.g., “Do you have anything related to my street/home?”). Sometimes these businesses may charge fees depending on what kind of request is being made, but this will usually be minimal.
Ask the neighbors
If you have a story about your home that has been passed down, it’s likely other people in the area know it as well. It could also be possible they heard from someone who had information on what happened—such as an old neighbor or worker for a previous owner. You can ask them if they know anything about the property and hopefully get some insight! This is another excellent way to find more details about your house/home because these stories are often related somehow.
Lookup newspaper articles
If you can’t find any local resources, try looking online for information. Many websites publish old newspapers, which would be helpful in your research. You could also use an internet search engine to look up phrases or names important to the story (e.g., “the fire on my street”). If something major was going around your house at a certain period, it’s likely someone wrote about it somewhere—and this is how you will find out.
Search online for previous owners
If you know the name of someone who used to live there, it’s possible their details are available on some kind of searchable database. You could also try a general Google search with keywords like “my street” and/or “my address” to see what pops up. This may give you information about your home that has been passed down through time—and help you learn more about its history.
Conclusion
There may not be definitive answers when researching the history of homes, but these techniques can help you learn more about them! Plus, they’re fun and exciting ways to learn what happened in your home if it is one that has historical value.