Discovering the History of Your House and Your Neighborhood - by Betsy J Green (Paperback)

About the Book

Transform a parcel of property into a piece of history with this practical manual that shows how to obtain information and organize it into a lively narrative history. Every home has a story to tell and, using this book, homeowners can inexpensively and easily create a legacy that will enhance the emotional and financial value of their property for family and future owners. 35 photos.

Book Synopsis

Every home has a story to tell! Whether you own an elaborate Victorian, cozy bungalow or cottage, ranch style, or are part of a newer subdivision, your house and property have a unique history that is just waiting to be uncovered.

Part treasure hunt and part jigsaw puzzle, researching the history of your house is a fascinating and rewarding experience. In Discovering the History of Your House and Your Neighborhood, author Betsy J. Green will show you how easy it is to create a cherished legacy for future generations to enjoy. You'll learn about:

Beginning your search
Finding and contacting former owners of your house
Discovering the architect who designed your house
Finding the original plans for your house
Re-creating long-lost woodwork, porches, even historic landscaping
Locating building permits for your house
Finding the original price of your house
Researching subdivisions and neighborhoods
Finding deeds for your house and land
Getting information from a deed
Finding old photos of your house and neighborhood
Using old maps to learn about your neighborhood
Discovering your house on a postcard
Using vintage architectural magazines
Writing up your house history
Includes a state-by-state guide to resources

Review Quotes

If you're keen to become an architectural detective, this intriguing book will get you started. Useful tips abound: if, for instance, you're looking for old photographs of your home, and you live on a main thoroughfare, check out photos of parades that might have passed by; if you're looking for information on previous owners, make sure to check for variant spellings of their surname in the relevant documents. In addition, the author steers us toward the right government offices and the appropriate library resources. . . . Wouldn't it be nice to have a copy on your shelves the next time a would-be house detective asks for help?

-Booklist

"Offers a wealth of small strategies for homeowners to discover an array of historical nuggets about their homesteads. "

-Newsday

"Judging by the letters and e-mails OHJ receives, Betsy J. Green's Discovering the History of Your House and Your Neighborhood could be a runaway best-seller."

-Old House Journal

"A fun book to read!"

-Genealogy Works Gallery

"A fun, simple, and "user friendly" step-by-step guide to researching the history of a private home. From surfing the Internet, to following a paper trail, Discovering the History of Your House is a welcome and highly recommended primer to finding out everything you want or need to know about the architectural history of your own home, but didn't know who or how to ask."

-Midwest Book Review

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About the Author

A former staff editor of World Book Encyclopedia and associate editor of Reader's Digest, Betsy J. Green is a noted house historian who has been researching and writing about house histories for over ten years. She has taught house history research at adult educational programs throughout the Chicago area, and has written nominations to list buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Green also regularly presents programs to libraries, historical societies, and community groups.