Research Your Home's History --- The Beginning

Why a House History?

People who buy old houses often develop an attachment to the little things in their homes that make them unique: details in the woodwork, creaks in the floor, even cracks in the old plaster walls. At least, I did. Our home became another member of the family to us, complete with personality... and a history that it seemed to want to share.

Shortly after moving in I began to find signs of the people who had lived here before us. A growth chart in a closet, a partial name stenciled on the basement wall, a map of the upstairs rooms and their measurements under the window seat cabinet... I became very interested in learning about these people. Who were they? What were they like? They traveled through their day-to-day lives in the same rooms that we do...were they anything like us? And what did this house look like when it was new?

I decided to start digging...through the house, the local museum and any old records I could find. The result was a three year project that, though still not entirely complete (will it ever be?), has given us a renewed respect for our home. The knowledge has guided us in the renovations and decorating of the place as we have become more sensitive to the original character that the house posseses.

Researching your home's history is a rewarding hobby, the methods of which are the same as for researching your family's genealogy, with some slight variations. I will warn you, though, that it is an obsessive hobby that can drive you to spend hours searching for the answer to one small question, only to end up with several new questions to ponder.

Where To Begin?

If you would like to start, the first thing you'll need to do is to study the house itself. Take some time to get to know the details of your home. Do you know about how old it is? Grab a flashlight and start looking for anything left by previous owners, such as writing on the walls. Check the basement and attic. Look around outside for names or initials written in concrete. Also, look at the design details of your home. They will give you clues to the building's age and whether there were additions added on. Make note of anything you might find, including any old landscaping or plants that you think may have been there for quite awhile.

The following site is a great resource for identifying the approximate age and style of your home. It is full of interesting information.

http://www.oldhouseweb.com/stories/Features/Architectural_Housing_Styles/

Good Luck! And check back as I will continue to post information on this topic over the next couple of weeks. My next post will list some good resources available to get your house history up and going.