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Searching for a house's history

Superfly

Superfly

Salty, defiant, and completely non-compliant.
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Joined
Jul 27, 2011
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Location
From Tucson to Tucumcari, Tehachapi to Tonopah
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Female
Political Leaning
Independent
I just bought a very old house, in the historic district of my city. The recorded deed says that it's built in 1930, but we think that it might be much older.

Either way, is there an online resource we can look through to see any recorded history? My husband is homebound right now, not feeling well, and he's not able to get out and go rummaging through city records, and I can't leave him alone while I do.

Am finding plenty of databases about personal information, but I haven't found anything that will help me out with the history of my house.

Anybody know of anything? Doesn't have to be free - I have no issue paying, if I can just find somewhere to start my search.
 
Superfly said:
I just bought a very old house, in the historic district of my city. The recorded deed says that it's built in 1930, but we think that it might be much older.

Either way, is there an online resource we can look through to see any recorded history? My husband is homebound right now, not feeling well, and he's not able to get out and go rummaging through city records, and I can't leave him alone while I do.

Am finding plenty of databases about personal information, but I haven't found anything that will help me out with the history of my house.

Anybody know of anything? Doesn't have to be free - I have no issue paying, if I can just find somewhere to start my search.
Click to expand...

A quick search for property information available online tuned up this site:

https://datastore.netronline.com/

As with many local public records, only a small subset are accessable online but you might get lucky. Have you asked (via the telephone) if such records are able to be accessed (and how).
 
hope i am wrong but unless it can be monetized, it is doubtful that the effort to digitize old analog documents would occur

being in a historic district, you likely have access to a historic commission or other similar body which oversees new construction/renovation and development within that designated area or for a bundle of historic designated communities

i would contact that office and see if they could offer suggestions about how to identify the date in which construction was begun/ended
 
ttwtt78640 said:
A quick search for property information available online tuned up this site:

https://datastore.netronline.com/

As with many local public records, only a small subset are accessable online but you might get lucky. Have you asked (via the telephone) if such records are able to be accessed (and how).
Click to expand...

Maybe I searched wrong. :lol: I searched "how do I find the history of my house?"

They are, but the lady I asked didn't seem to be very technologically savvy, so I didn't ask her a lot about online searches. She just advised me to come down to the county records office and plan to spend the day, going back through the records of recorded deeds.
 
Superfly said:
Maybe I searched wrong. :lol: I searched "how do I find the history of my house?"

They are, but the lady I asked didn't seem to be very technologically savvy, so I didn't ask her a lot about online searches. She just advised me to come down to the county records office and plan to spend the day, going back through the records of recorded deeds.
Click to expand...

if you were able to locate the plat of your development within the register of deeds office, that would likely offer you a helpful piece of information
because your home likely would not have existed previous to the filing of the plat
and if it did pre-exist the plat, your home would likely be identified on that document

don't forget to check the records of the office which enforces building codes and issues building permits
there may be permitting information about your new-old home within that office

but neither of those locations can be effectively searched remotely
 
Superfly said:
Maybe I searched wrong. :lol: I searched "how do I find the history of my house?"

They are, but the lady I asked didn't seem to be very technologically savvy, so I didn't ask her a lot about online searches. She just advised me to come down to the county records office and plan to spend the day, going back through the records of recorded deeds.
Click to expand...

Local real estate agents may be more helpful. Another great source of local lore are folks who have lived in the area for generations.
 
Superfly said:
I just bought a very old house, in the historic district of my city. The recorded deed says that it's built in 1930, but we think that it might be much older.

Either way, is there an online resource we can look through to see any recorded history? My husband is homebound right now, not feeling well, and he's not able to get out and go rummaging through city records, and I can't leave him alone while I do.

Am finding plenty of databases about personal information, but I haven't found anything that will help me out with the history of my house.

Anybody know of anything? Doesn't have to be free - I have no issue paying, if I can just find somewhere to start my search.
Click to expand...

Maybe you have a historical society in your area?
 
another thought ... recollection, actually. in the 70's i had to research to "design" the reconstruction of the Arsenal Building in fayetteville nc as well as document the historic Mansard Roof Building for preservation
the main library had a wealth of resources dedicated to local historic documents. my current locale has a grand historic section in the main library. your main library might have something equivalent
but again, no likely remote access
 
Superfly said:
I just bought a very old house, in the historic district of my city. The recorded deed says that it's built in 1930, but we think that it might be much older.

Either way, is there an online resource we can look through to see any recorded history? My husband is homebound right now, not feeling well, and he's not able to get out and go rummaging through city records, and I can't leave him alone while I do.

Am finding plenty of databases about personal information, but I haven't found anything that will help me out with the history of my house.

Anybody know of anything? Doesn't have to be free - I have no issue paying, if I can just find somewhere to start my search.
Click to expand...
Have you asked the local building inspector? They'd know.

You can also try the tax records for the property.
 
Superfly said:
I just bought a very old house, in the historic district of my city. The recorded deed says that it's built in 1930, but we think that it might be much older.

Either way, is there an online resource we can look through to see any recorded history? My husband is homebound right now, not feeling well, and he's not able to get out and go rummaging through city records, and I can't leave him alone while I do.

Am finding plenty of databases about personal information, but I haven't found anything that will help me out with the history of my house.

Anybody know of anything? Doesn't have to be free - I have no issue paying, if I can just find somewhere to start my search.
Click to expand...

It isn't the same everywhere but quite often the county recorder or assessor keeps searchable records online. Failing that, if I was really curious my next stop would be the local historical society which would likely have a good idea of where to search.
 
justabubba said:
hope i am wrong but unless it can be monetized, it is doubtful that the effort to digitize old analog documents would occur

being in a historic district, you likely have access to a historic commission or other similar body which oversees new construction/renovation and development within that designated area or for a bundle of historic designated communities

i would contact that office and see if they could offer suggestions about how to identify the date in which construction was begun/ended
Click to expand...

I will do that Monday morning. It's hard to get out and get much done with Hubs being sick.
 
ttwtt78640 said:
Local real estate agents may be more helpful. Another great source of local lore are folks who have lived in the area for generations.
Click to expand...

Not really happy with my local realtors. We got scammed. The listing agent listed the property as having all new plumbing, and it does not. We asked, and she said the former owner told her it was all new. When we questioned him, he seemed incensed and said he never said anything about new plumbing.

We are currently weighing our options.
 
justabubba said:
another thought ... recollection, actually. in the 70's i had to research to "design" the reconstruction of the Arsenal Building in fayetteville nc as well as document the historic Mansard Roof Building for preservation
the main library had a wealth of resources dedicated to local historic documents. my current locale has a grand historic section in the main library. your main library might have something equivalent
but again, no likely remote access
Click to expand...

Thanks - had thought of the library also. Not sure if it means anything, but everybody knows this house. Every time someone asks us where we live, we tell them, and they are like, "Oh yeah - I know that house!" There has to be something about its history.
 
MovingPictures said:
Have you asked the local building inspector? They'd know.

You can also try the tax records for the property.
Click to expand...

Yeah we have to go there anyway. Just waiting on Hubs to feel better, but because he's a 100% service-connected disabled vet, he is entitled to no property taxes. We just have to register it.
 
Lutherf said:
It isn't the same everywhere but quite often the county recorder or assessor keeps searchable records online. Failing that, if I was really curious my next stop would be the local historical society which would likely have a good idea of where to search.
Click to expand...

I will look and see if I can find anything.
 
On line, I’m not sure but in my small town they keep some of that stuff at the local library, record of deeds, and or historical society.
 
Thanks everyone. Yeah, I'm not finding much online. I've paid for 2 different services, and both have shown me the exact same thing I found online for free.

Guess I will have to wait 'til Hubs is on the mend. I just hoped that there might be some massive database, like Ancestry.com or something.
 
Superfly said:
I just bought a very old house, in the historic district of my city. The recorded deed says that it's built in 1930, but we think that it might be much older.

Either way, is there an online resource we can look through to see any recorded history? My husband is homebound right now, not feeling well, and he's not able to get out and go rummaging through city records, and I can't leave him alone while I do.

Am finding plenty of databases about personal information, but I haven't found anything that will help me out with the history of my house.

Anybody know of anything? Doesn't have to be free - I have no issue paying, if I can just find somewhere to start my search.
Click to expand...

Try pulling plats and deeds down at your county administrative building based on the parcel number. Once you start doing that, you may find a paper trail because it may say, "as reference from XXXX deed" or "XXXX plat" or "Permit" or some other form or document. Then you pull that one and start running it back in history. Some city/county records are online, many are not though. All should be because it is public record but local governments often are not very current with technology.
 
Last edited:
poweRob said:
Try pulling plats and deeds down at your county administrative building based on the parcel number. Once you start doing that, you may find a paper trail because it may say, "as reference from XXXX deed" or "XXXX plat" or "Permit" or some other form or document. Then you pull that one and start running it back in history. Some city/county records are online, many are not though. All should be because it is public record but local governments often are not very current with technology.
Click to expand...

Yeah will definitely have to be something I will do once Hubs is feeling better.
 
Checkerboard Strangler said:
So sorry your husband is ill, hope he gets better!
Click to expand...

Thanks! He's on the mend, finally. Just taking a while. He has lung disease and lost part of his lung to cancer a couple of years ago, so colds really affect him. They get with him and stick with him for a long time.

I took him to Helen, Georgia, back in November for a surprise weekend getaway, and he's been up and down ever since.
 
Superfly said:
Yeah we have to go there anyway. Just waiting on Hubs to feel better, but because he's a 100% service-connected disabled vet, he is entitled to no property taxes. We just have to register it.
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear about your husband feeling crappy, Superfly.

Hope he feels better soon.
 
Superfly said:
I just bought a very old house, in the historic district of my city. The recorded deed says that it's built in 1930, but we think that it might be much older.

Either way, is there an online resource we can look through to see any recorded history? My husband is homebound right now, not feeling well, and he's not able to get out and go rummaging through city records, and I can't leave him alone while I do.

Am finding plenty of databases about personal information, but I haven't found anything that will help me out with the history of my house.

Anybody know of anything? Doesn't have to be free - I have no issue paying, if I can just find somewhere to start my search.
Click to expand...

Best bet is to contact the city for blueprints and construction details if available, this can be a crapshoot though because cities requires such data going back a long time but many rural or formal rural areas did not until after ww2.
 
justabubba said:
hope i am wrong but unless it can be monetized, it is doubtful that the effort to digitize old analog documents would occur

being in a historic district, you likely have access to a historic commission or other similar body which oversees new construction/renovation and development within that designated area or for a bundle of historic designated communities

i would contact that office and see if they could offer suggestions about how to identify the date in which construction was begun/ended
Click to expand...

It all depends on when that local area started requiring records, and if the house had been modified since construction. When I was a kid living in virginia, the house my father bought was built in the 1920's, however the well had been capped off and it had been redone for electricity and running water around the 1950's, but still had the old 1920's hand crank shudders but also had glass windows installed behind them. That area kept poor records of the initial construction, but had all the permits for modifications around the 1950's on record indicating it was made in the 20's.
 
Superfly said:
I just bought a very old house, in the historic district of my city. The recorded deed says that it's built in 1930, but we think that it might be much older.

Either way, is there an online resource we can look through to see any recorded history? My husband is homebound right now, not feeling well, and he's not able to get out and go rummaging through city records, and I can't leave him alone while I do.

Am finding plenty of databases about personal information, but I haven't found anything that will help me out with the history of my house.

Anybody know of anything? Doesn't have to be free - I have no issue paying, if I can just find somewhere to start my search.
Click to expand...

I think what you are looking for is called a "property abstract"....you might try city hall property records.
 
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