Old buildings tell stories…we just need to understand how to read them. How many times have you scratched your head, wondering where the original fireplace was, why a previous owner sealed up that door, or how a pair of men’s boxer shorts ended up behind the wall? 

Some mysteries will never be solved, but we can get closer to solving the puzzle by answering some basic questions:  

• When was the house built?
• What was the area like back then?
• Who lived here?
• What were people’s values and priorities back then? 

For example, learning that the house was built in the 1890s by a farmer with a wife and several children helps to make sense of its rambling, modestly ornate Queen Anne style. By the same token, if you know a little about architectural styles and forms (a great source is A Field Guide to American Houses by Virginia McAlester), you’ll be able to identify Queen Anne and imagine the life of a thriving middle-class family in what was then considered a thoroughly modern house. You could even begin to extrapolate the kinds of clubs and social activities the owners would have engaged in. Before you know it, you’ll be elbow deep in local newspaper archives and photo collections.

In case you’re starting to feel overwhelmed (or, just as likely, ready to quit your day job and devote your life to historical research), help is on the way. Here’s where I get to credit a terrific professional historian (who can do this research for you!), Marissa Marvelli. Her resource “A (Working) Preservation Guide for Historic Property Owners and Enthusiasts in Ulster Co., NY” provides an essential framework that I’ve adapted below to include Columbia and Dutchess County resources.

Note:  Check your town’s website for information on local history groups, archives, landmark preservation commissions and online resources. A lot of great information has been digitized (see below), but a lot more remains in physical archives that you’ll need a knowledgeable guide to access.  

1. Tax Records

A good, if not always reliable, place to start is your county tax records. For example, Columbia County, NY, makes tax information publicly available online. You can look up a property by current owner name, tax lot number or address. I can pull up the tax report on my house and see that it was reportedly built in 1890, with a front porch as well as an enclosed side porch, and that the detached garage was built in 1940. These dates must be taken with a grain of salt because they indicate when an “improvement” was noted for assessment purposes.

2. Maps

Local maps are a wonderful resource for continuing your investigation. They can help pinpoint the date of a building’s construction, show what else was nearby, and even reveal the owner’s name, type of construction and use. 

Different kinds of maps exist for each place. For example, Hudson, NY, was mapped by the Sanborn Fire Insurance Company, which gives an incredible amount of detail including building type, materials and footprint (useful for dating any add-ons). Here’s a list of various maps available for my town (note the sources – kudos to all the librarians, town historians and graduate interns who painstakingly digitized these treasures):

A map of the towns of Livingston, Germantown, and Clermont in the County of Columbia : compiled from actual surveys in January 1798 | Library of Congress (loc.gov)

Another 1798 map of Germantown/Clermont in the NYS Archives: Digital Collections : Cartographic Record : Map of the Towns of German and Clermont. Map #188 [NYSA_A0273-78_188] (nysed.gov)

1851 map of Columbia County: Map of Columbia County, New York : from actual surveys | Library of Congress (loc.gov)

1858 map of Columbia County: Map of Columbia Co., New York : from actual surveys | Library of Congress (loc.gov)

1873 map of Germantown (DG Beers): Germantown [Township]; Germantown Business Notices; East Camp Landing [Village]; Germantown [Village] – NYPL Digital Collections

1873 map of Livingston (DG Beers): Livington [Township]; Glenco Mills [Village]; Livington Business Notices; Lebanon Springs [Village]; Johnstown [Village] – NYPL Digital Collections

This 1891 map has my house on it: Atlas of the Hudson River Valley – Greenburgh Public Library, The Land and People of Greenburgh – New York Heritage Digital Collections (oclc.org)

Marissa Marvelli writes, “The explosive growth of the map publishing industry following the Civil War enabled the development of a much more detailed type of cartography called panoramic mapping. These birds’ eye views show the extent of particular population centers and their geographic features. City leaders used these maps to promote civic pride and economic development. Here’s an example of an 1890 Panoramic map: Rhinebeck, N.Y. | Library of Congress (loc.gov)

Historic Red Hook has collected links to digitized copies of Dutchess County maps here: Historic Maps of Red Hook — Historic Red Hook

The Dutchess County Historical Society has created this finding aid: START HERE: Overview to All DCHS Resources – Dutchess County Historical Society (dchsny.org)

3.Photographs

Everyone loves old photographs. They can tell us many of the same things as maps but in more vivid detail. We can see what buildings actually looked like, signs of the businesses that occupied them, real people!

The drawings, photographs and histories compiled through the Historic American Building Survey and Historic American Engineering Record (HABS/HAER) are a treasure trove. Here’s one in my backyard: Olana, State Route 9G, Hudson, Columbia County, NY | Library of Congress (loc.gov)

Commercial photographer Howard Gibson documented daily life and special occasions of Hudson Valley communities. His library has been digitized, organized and made publicly available online. Another great archive for photos, maps and other fascinating miscellany is nyheritage.org.

Some communities have “tax photos” that document properties for assessment purposes. Dutchess County, NY, not only provides current photos, but also links to a Historic Resource Survey conducted in the 1980s. Here, someone has taken a stab at describing the architectural style of selected buildings and also posted a then-current photo (that may predate vinyl siding and other indignities of the past 40 years). 

4. National Register of Historic Places / Local Landmarks & Historic Districts

Speaking of surveys, some local agencies and organizations have had the foresight to document their architectural resources and nominate them for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. My go-to online resource for New York State historic site information is Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS) (ny.gov). You can “Proceed as Guest”, then click the “Search” option to find surveys, reports, maps and other information.

Some places also have local landmarks and historic districts – check your town’s website to find out how to access their research data. For example, Hudson, NY, makes its historic districts map, historic preservation ordinance and individual designation reports available online. 

5. Deeds & Directories

Marissa Marvelli writes, “Tracing the property through deeds can help you more definitively pin down a construction date and ownership history. Old city directories are also useful. The first appearance of an address may indicate the construction of a house.” 

Columbia County, NY, has digitized its deed records back several decades. Each deed refers to the seller and points you to the previous deed (when that seller was the buyer). Deeds also describe the property itself in more or less detail. To get back into the 19th century, you’ll have to continue the research in person at the county clerk’s office. Handling original deed books makes you feel like a real historian!

In case you prefer your armchair, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made life easier with FamilySearch.org (Marissa says Enter “United States, New York, Ulster” in the Catalog search field then scroll down to “Land and property” for deeds). You can find house research tutorials at Discovering the History of Your House on Ancestry – Ancestry Academy.

 6. Census, etc.

If you know names of past owners, you can look them up on FamilySearch.org. At the top of the screen, click “Search” and enter the person’s name and place (city/town, state). A list of matches includes census records, death and marriage certificates, even photos of gravestones (findagrave.com). 

7. Books 

Sometimes nothing beats good old-fashioned books about local history and architecture. Many towns produced commemorative books around the time of the Bicentennial in 1976 or other significant anniversaries. Check your local library for publications like these.

8. Historic newspapers

When you’re really ready to lose yourself down the rabbit hole, many local newspapers are now digitized and searchable. The NYS Historic Newspapers index (fultonhistory.com)