Architectural evidence | Land distribution records | Additional resources | Bibliographies

Step 1: Architectural Evidence

The first step in researching the history of a house is to look closely at the building for clues about its age. Remember that over the years many changes may have taken place. Has the footprint of the house changed over the years? Perhaps there are extensions that were built on at a later date to accommodate a growing family? Does the building material found on the outer surface of your house cover up the original structure? Popular surface material such as formstone, popular during the 1950’s, and aluminum siding may cover up an original log or brick structure.

Most homes can be defined by an architectural style. Early architectural styles reflect the cultural background and craftsmanship of the country of origin of the builder. The growth of our nation and the industrial revolution produced more standardized styles. These styles were produced in plan books and available throughout the country. Look at the bibliography to find some good resources for determining the architecture of your house.

You will also want to observe any changes in the interior of the house. Have closets and bathrooms been added in the twentieth century? Have larger rooms been divided into smaller rooms, or conversely, have walls been removed to create a great room? Don’t forget to look at little details. Is the hardware different in various areas of the house? Does a room have wide windowsills, a chair or peg rail, or wide-plank floors? Such characteristics are often found in older homes, however these details can also show up in newer homes designed to imitate an older style. You will want to draw a floor plan of your house as it presently is configured. You will also want to draw a floor plan of the original structure if you discover changes that have occurred over the years.

It is not always possible to establish an exact date of construction for an old house, but by studying the architecture and other clues you can usually make a good estimate of the time period of construction. A number of Lancaster County farmhouses have a date stone mounted in its facade giving the house historian a reliable clue to the exact date of construction.

Be sure to take photographs of all angles of your house. Take photographs of the interior as well as the exterior. You can use these photographs to document your house at the time you write your house history. Look at the case study houses to see photographs that document the architectural style of the houses and floor plans of the interior of the buildings.

There is always a chance that another person has already done some research on your house. Local historical societies and historic preservation groups often have a file of historic homes. You are welcome to check the records at the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County. The Trust maintains files on over 10,000 historic Lancaster County properties. You will need to know the township or municipality and the name of the road or street where you house is located for access to the files.