Need help researching house build date

[KristenS]

Oh, we have a local preservation charity. And a historical society. And a town historian. And I apparently know more about the town than all three put together.

The tax assessors office said that they don't keep any info that old. And since the library barely has our own town newspaper on microfilm, I'm doubtful they'd have anything else.

I'm also not sure how tax info would help with the build date and/or architect. I'm already 100% sure of the first owner and day they took ownership. Would the builder have been paying taxes on the house before they took possession?

I'm going to try our county records again. Everyone at the town offices claims that the only records there are deeds (which I've already researched to the hilt). But then again, everyone at the town offices seems to have no idea what they're talking about! So, I should try the county again.

I'm essentially ready to start accosting old people at the local diner and asking if anyone knows my house. I'd probably get better info!

[melissakd]

I'm also not sure how tax info would help with the build date and/or architect. I'm already 100% sure of the first owner and day they took ownership. Would the builder have been paying taxes on the house before they took possession?

Yes, the legal owner of the property would have paid taxes from the time they bought and laid out the neighborhood. If you find tax records from consecutive years, you can see when the assessed value jumped upward, indicating the house had been built.

MKD

[matchbookhouse]

If your county office has the deeds, they may (should?) also have land records. I went to those after tracing the deed history of my house, but I would still have been able to determine the build date, since the value of the property increased by $1000 between 1926 and 1927, and the original owner/builder borrowed $1000 in Nov. 1926. You might also want to check and make sure the land records were not segregated by race; our county's were back then.

[westvillager]

Another place to try would be building industry trade publications. If you can find out what publications existed in your area, it would be worth trying to locate them and comb through them. In Michigan there was the "Michigan Architect & Engineer." At the end of each issue, there was a section advertising bids to contractors. The projects were listed by type (office building, school, residence, etc.) and then listed by architecture firm. There would be a little blurb about each project that was currently out for bids from each architect's office, and it gave a brief description, cost, location etc.

[KristenS]

Yes, the legal owner of the property would have paid taxes from the time they bought and laid out the neighborhood. If you find tax records from consecutive years, you can see when the assessed value jumped upward, indicating the house had been built.

Very interesting... I had assumed that the developer wouldn't have to pay separate taxes for each parcel of land they subdivided. But it's possible that for 1906, when the development company hadn't subdivided yet, they paid one set of taxes on the whole thing. Then in 1907, by which time it had been subdivided, they'd have paid for each parcel. And then I can compare the taxes on our plot number to the other plot numbers and see when ours jumps.

I guess I'll have to call or email the Tax Assessor directly. No more underlings!

Though, again, I'm not sure how this will tell me who built the house. Or from whose plans. Maybe I should just give up!

Matchbookhouse: Did you find the loan first, and then realize that it must have been for the original builder? Or vice versa? Because I'm not sure how I'd look up a loan attached to the not-yet-existing house without knowing who was getting the loan. And if it was a loan to the development company...well, they built around 500 houses in the area. I'm not sure how I'd tell which loan was for which house! Were the loans you looked through listed by address, or lot number?

Westvillager: That's a really interesting idea-- thank you. I'll see what I can find.

[KristenS]

Another place to try would be building industry trade publications. If you can find out what publications existed in your area, it would be worth trying to locate them and comb through them. In Michigan there was the "Michigan Architect & Engineer." At the end of each issue, there was a section advertising bids to contractors. The projects were listed by type (office building, school, residence, etc.) and then listed by architecture firm. There would be a little blurb about each project that was currently out for bids from each architect's office, and it gave a brief description, cost, location etc.

I found one! The American Contractor. Has exactly what you're talking about! Online I can only find issues from 1917-- too late for me. But the NY Public Library has August 1906 through December 1908. Let's hope they didn't start issuing contracts until August at the earliest!

I'll let you all know what I find once I get to the library.

[matchbookhouse]

Kristen, I found the deed to the land purchase first (Sept. 1926), then the recordation of the loan (Nov. 1926). The land records showed the increase in the value of the property in the summer of 1927, so that narrowed the build date down. Of course, the original owner of the house WAS the builder (he was a ship's carpenter), so that made it easy too. This was still a small, rural community in the 20's so the records are hand-written and easy to find at the courthouse.

[leslieg]

I live in Nutley in a Lambert house built in 1913. It's not grand by any means, but it does have many typical Lambert features, including the "Union Jack" design in the porch railing, two sets of bowed windows on the second story, a corner cabinet in the dining room, and many Mission details throughout. If I can be of any help, let me know.