Finding the history of your house, and the people in it

Maps give you the building. Records give you the people. The two together are how you date a house without a deed and find out who lived in it before you.

Start with the building

Work backwards through Sanborn editions until the footprint changes or disappears: that bracket is your construction window. Note the house number as printed on the sheet, because numbering schemes were renumbered in many cities and the address you know may not be the address in the records.

Browse Baltimore sheets

Then the people

• Federal census, 1850–1950 — household by household, with occupations. Later censuses are released after 72 years.
• City directories — annual, address-indexed in many cities, and they fill the gaps between censuses. Often the fastest way to date an occupancy change.
• Deeds and land records — the chain of title, held by the county or city land records office.
• Building permits and certificates of occupancy — where a municipality has kept them, they date additions and changes of use precisely.
• Fire insurance atlases — construction material, storeys, outbuildings, and use.

A note on privacy

We do not publish the names of living people, and we ask contributors not to either. Historical records are public; the person living at an address today did not choose to be part of your research.

How we make money: some links on this page are affiliate or referral links, and we may be paid if you use them. That never changes which documents we show you or what they say. Full disclosure.