Ever wonder about the history of your house? It can take some searching to uncover details about houses and their former residents, but the library can provide some tools and tips.
A great starting place is the Internet Public Library’s Guide to Researching the History of a House; it gives a thorough list of internet resources for House Histories.
Another way to gather information about your house is to do research on previous owners and residents. You can visit the city’s BS&A page and enter your house’s address to get a list of more recent owners. However, in order to get the names of owners from the more distant past, you will likely need to contact the Tax and Assessing Department of the City of Chelsea.
Once you find out the names of former owners, you can visit the library’s Family History Index and look up their obituaries. This can give you information about their lives, as well as names of family members who would not be listed as homeowners.
Good luck! —Emily