Historical city and county maps and atlases may show your house on them, and perhaps list the owner as well. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, fire insurance maps were periodically drawn up for cities and towns in the United States. These maps were commissioned by insurance companies in order to more accurately calculate fire risk, and offer a great deal of information. They can show the outline of the building, the building materials, the number of stories, doors, windows, chimneys, the address and lot lines. The Sanborn Company was the largest, but not the only, fire insurance mapping firm. It created firm insurance maps from 1867 until 1969. Some libraries carry the Sanborn maps on microfilm. Look up your property on the various maps and check for any existing house and outbuildings, such as a garage, shed or barn. If you can find your property on a succession of maps, you can see how it changed over time. Check with your city and county libraries for their holdings of maps and atlases.
