As I delved into the research of my century home, I began to see the similarities between house research and genealogy. In essence, you are tracing the genealogy of your house. The history of a home can be as fascinating as the history or your ancestors, and can reveal much about the people who occupied it. Many of the research techniques and resources utilized by genealogists are also relevant in looking into the past owners of property. I’ve already mentioned in a previous entry that you will begin your search by creating a chain of title through looking at the deeds on your property. After that, you will need to search through other public records. With your list of property owners in hand, you can look through tax records, wills, probate files, census records, vital records, newspaper articles, city directories, etc. Future entries will provide more information on what each of these records can uncover about your house.
