Architectural evidence | Land distribution records | Additional resources | Bibliographies

Step 3: Additional Resources

As you develop your house history more questions will come to mind. The following sources provide additional information that will help you flesh out the story of your house and may provide a missing link to your story.

Local tax records

Local authorities collected taxes each year and the information provided in these records can be invaluable for house historians. Unfortunately not all of these tax assessment lists are still extant. Your tax assessment office or local historical society may have these old records. View the holdings of local tax records for Lancaster County.

Information on tax lists varies throughout the centuries. Early tax records contain the name of the landowner and the amount of his assessment. Later records may include more details such as the occupation of the owner, value of the real estate and amount of livestock. One of the main reasons to check tax records is to note if there is a substantial increase in taxes at a certain point. If this increase is not similarly seen in the assessment of neighboring properties it can be inferred that a building was constructed and the new assessment reflects that addition to the real estate. Such information can help to establish a construction date for a building.

Federal tax records

A federal tax was imposed in 1798 to finance a war between the United States and France. The war never actually took place but we are fortunate to have the records resulting from this tax. The original records are housed in the National Archives. Microfilm copies are available at many academic libraries and historical repositories. Of specific interest to house historians are pertinent details such as number of buildings on the property, type of construction material, number of stories and the valuation. This is sometimes referred to as the “glass tax” since the tax was based on the number of windows in the building.

Another federal tax was levied in 1815 to pay for the war of 1812. These tax records exist for some areas and should be examined also. Buildings are mentioned in this tax as well as property assessments. The Lancaster County Historical Society has copies of this tax bound by township.

Examples of these federal tax records can be seen under the Forgotten Seasons case study.

Mechanics liens

Mechanics liens are court documents that refer to the right of tradesmen or “mechanics” to recover expenses that were in default by their employer. The tradesman would make his claim by describing to the court what work he had done and at what expense. If a property was involved, the court document filed by the plaintiff might mention the names of other tradesmen, the type of material used, the cost of the material and the exact date the construction took place. The Lancaster County Historical Society has mechanics’ liens for the years 1855 to 1863. View an example of a mechanic’s lien.

Maps and atlases

Historical maps and atlases are also a valuable source for property research. These interesting documents depict how a property fits into the physical environment. Maps give you a pictorial view of your property in relation to waterways, transportation routes and physical boundaries. Some 18th and 19th century maps name landowners and may even indicate where the dwelling was located within the property. Since there can be significant gaps between publication of maps it is important to corroborate information found on maps with written descriptions found on other documents.

Another type of map of interest to house historians are fire insurance maps. These maps, created for larger towns and used to provide underwriters with the information they needed, contain details not found in other maps. Produced in the late nineteenth century fire insurance maps depict the exact location and shape of a building, the type of construction material used, how close it was to a water supply, etc. They are commonly referred to as Sanborn maps since that was the largest company to produce such maps. View a list of historical maps and atlases found at the Lancaster County Historical Society.

Directories

City and county directories have been published with some regularity since the eighteenth century. Larger cities and those settled early have the longest run of directories. These resources list the name and exact address where a person lived. Sometimes additional information such as occupation is included. By checking directories year by year we can identify the exact location of a homeowner in any given year. This is particularly useful when people resided in several different houses in the same city. When using directories you should be aware of any changes in street names or numbering patterns that may have occurred since the directory was published.

Newspapers

Newspapers contain all sorts of information and are one of the most valuable research tools for all types of historians. Of particular interest to house historians are advertisements for the sale of real estate. Often they give detailed descriptions of the house and property being offered for sale. Unfortunately most newspapers are not indexed. However you can estimate an approximate time period for an advertisement by calculating several weeks before the date of a deed. Sometimes these newspaper advertisements took on another form as a larger poster that would be nailed to trees or buildings for passers-by to read. This form of an advertisement is referred to as a broadside. Click to see a real estate advertisement for an auction sometimes referred to as a public vendue.

Photographs

One of the most valuable documents to help establish the physical look of a house is a photograph, print or painting. The best source for a photograph is often a former owner of the house. Although the purpose of the photograph may have been to document a special occasion through a gathering of family members, there may be enough clues in the background to help establish the style of the exterior of the house or the layout of an interior room. Historical repositories often have extensive photographic collections and it may be possible to find a photograph of your house in such a collection.

Architectural drawings

Early houses were built using traditional plans handed down by master craftsmen. It wasn’t until the middle of the nineteenth century that design books were published and blueprints became available, thus allowing ordinary people to have houses built that were designed by architects. Sometimes these architectural plans can be found in old house-plan catalogs. If you are very lucky the architectural plans for your house will be found stored in the attic. It is important to remember that sometimes the architectural plans were not followed exactly and many never materialized at all.

Secondary sources

As you progress with your house history you will find it useful to read background information about the locality of your house. You will want to know what events were important to the inhabitants of the area. Often the best source for historical perspective is found in secondary sources. As you are working on your house history be sure to read county and village histories. Although these vary as to their accuracy and scholarly content they can provide valuable clues.

Undoubtedly you will want to know more about the lives of those who lived in your house. Many resources used in genealogy such as federal census records also have some relevance to house historians. You can learn more about researching family histories by looking at the genealogy section of this website.