[MassHistPres] Q: Short Cut to History of Deed/Ownership of Property
Henry Cooke
hcooke4 at verizon.net
Tue Jun 20 09:31:38 EDT 2017
Using deeds is a good way to establish the chain of ownership of the property if not the house. Sometimes, the earlier deeds will mention a house and specific buildings, but not always, and you can't always be sure that the house mentioned is the one you are investigating, especially if it was lost to fire, or otherwise rebuilt. If you have access to good early local maps that show house footprint, and Sanborn insurance maps, which offer more details of construction, are also helpful resources. In determining a "century list" of houses in Randolph for our demolition bylaw, consultant Kathleen Broomer utilized our Public Works Department's water connection records, which went back to the 1880s. While no single resource is the sole authority, by using them together, you can develop a better understanding of the property and the buildings placed upon it, as well as the neighborhood context.
Henry Cooke, Chairman
Randolph Historical Commission
-----Original Message-----
From: Melissa Totten <mtotten at walpole-ma.gov>
To: masshistpres <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
Sent: Mon, Jun 19, 2017 5:52 pm
Subject: [MassHistPres] Q: Short Cut to History of Deed/Ownership of Property
Dear colleagues,
I am a new member of Walpole’s HC, and I’m researching the history of a property that is before the Commission for review. I have the town assessor’s 2017 documents on the property, but no previous owners are listed. This is the first time I’ve seen that. The building is known to be ca. 1900.
Here’s a basic question: Where do I go for documentation of the history of ownership and changes made to the property? Would the most direct route be a visit to the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds? If anyone is an old hand at this, I’d appreciate a pointer.
PS — this building has not been inventoried for inclusion in MACRIS, but I’m checking with other local history materials at our Library and the Historical Society.
Thanks, all.
Melissa
Melissa Totten
Associate Member
Walpole Historical Commission
mtotten at walpole-ma.gov
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