Researching the history of your house

An article this week in The Independent, "The history of your house: Properties with pedigree," explores the benefits of compiling a house history. "Whether you live in a Georgian townhouse, a rambling country pile or a simple city flat, your home may tell a fascinating story." The article suggests such a history may make the perfect gift for someone you care about. 

I have long been interested in attempting a house history of a home I lived in as a child, an old brownstone duplex owned by my grandparents, an inquiry, I think, that could provide me with some important dates. I expect the research to be a challenge as the home has since been torn down and replaced by a college complex. As the article says, "be prepared to spend hours trawling through old records, books and websites." And even if the home is not one you've grown up in, but recently acquired, the history of an older home can be enchanting at best but, like all genealogy, be prepared for some surprises.