Monday, May 17, 2021

Discovering the History of YOUR House: Tip Sheet


Ever wondered about your own or a neighbor's "house history"? Did you know how to start figuring it out? The Waterford Historical Society presents how! 

House historian Lise Moran will describe her own discovery of the history of Linda and Ed Mitchell's house (6888 Route 18) and placing the house on the state register of historic places, this Wednesday May 19 at 6 pm, via Zoom. (If you didn't get the Zoom link via email from WHS, watch for it on Facebook or contact Helen or Beth.)

To get us all equipped to become house investigators, here is Lise's own Tip Sheet -- a revelation of where she looked, and where the story of your own house is waiting for you!

Where to Go to Research Your Historic House- May 19, 2021  

Waterford Historical Society

 

 Town Office vault in Lower Waterford –

 

 Deed research to form a chain backwards in time

 Hovey Lot and Range map of Waterford with original grantors (1820)

   

State of Vermont Division of Historic Resources – Montpelier, VT -

 

 Historic Sites & Structures Survey to request a copy

 Google aerial photography of your property

 

Vermont Historical Society, 60 Washington St. Barre, VT  (802) – 479-8500

 

County Atlas of Caledonia, Vermont.  New York:  F.W. Beers and Co, 1875.

H.F. Walling Map of Caledonia, County, VT.  New York:  Baker and Tilden, 1858.

Child, Hamilton.  Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex Counties, VT 1764-1887

Hemenway, Abby Maria, editor. Vermont Quarterly Gazetteer, A Historical Magazine Caledonia County, No.  LV, October 1862.

Collection of old postcards, letters, articles, catalogued by town

 

Davies Memorial Library in Lower Waterford –

 

Goss, David Philip.  Abel Goss of Lower Waterford   (family genealogy)

C.E. Harris.  A Vermont Village.

Hopper, Gordon E.  Upper Waterford.    A Village Lost to Progress.

An Informal History of Waterford, Vermont    (Bicentennial Historical Committee 1976).

Yearly Town Reports of Waterford

 

General Research Books for documenting an Historic House -

 

Congdon, Herbert Wheaton.  Old Vermont Houses, 1946.

Light, Sally.  House Histories:  A Guide to Tracing the Genealogy of Your Home, 1989.

McAlester, Virginia Savage.  A Field Guide to American Houses,   2013.

Garvin, James.  A Building History of Northern New England, 2001.

Blake, Harrison.  The View from Vermont,   2006

Williams, Henry Lionel and Ottalie K.Williams.  Old American Houses, 1957.

  

Additional Sources   (family relationships and locations) –

 

United States Census Records -  www.census.gov 

1790 to present, after 1850 the head of the household is mentioned

Bird’s Eye Maps 

Aerial photography the United States Geological Survey maps

Cemetery records or gravestones ----find a grave

www.ancestry.com

Church records of the Congregational Church of Waterford, VT

 


Lise G. Moran    P.O. Box 97    Whitefield, NH  03598            lisemoran@yahoo.com

(772)  631-3458

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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