Sample History Profile

The following history demonstrates what information and details you can expect from a House History report. The history, delivered in a presentation folder or book, is usually between 24 and 36 pages long.

The history is divided into two sections. The first covers the period before the current house was built and includes information about the use of the land, the development of the community, and any previous buildings that stood on the site. The second part focuses on the history of your house and the families who lived there.

By researching various historical records we will be able to find the actual or approximate (generally within 5 years) date your house was built and for whom. Our historians will find and read through all relevant maps, plans, tax records, deeds, wills, census records, newspapers and local directories as well as the numerous other archival records. We will be able to learn about the people who lived in your house including any servants.

If your house is older than 1865 we will explore the effects of the Civil War on the inhabitants of your house as well as your local community. Within the Mid-Atlantic area it is not uncommon to learn of families divided between the North and South with sons, fathers, and brothers taking part in the battles. If your house is located near the site of a battle or skirmish, your property may have served as a make-shift hospital or quarters for officers. Occupants in houses of southern Pennsylvania and northern Maryland were sometimes involved in societies to help end slavery during the first half of the 19 th century.

We can also uncover information about your house and property during the War of 1812 and the Revolution. Although it is unlikely that George Washington slept in your bedroom, you may be surprised to learn the loyalties of your home’s past occupants and the roles they may have played in the history of our nation.

House History Mid-Atlantic also offers architectural surveys. Architectural surveys can answer questions about the structure of your home and how it has changed over the years. A professional architectural historian will visit your home and take a variety of measurements in each room. These measurements will be used to create scaled plans of your house. These plans will illustrate how the house has evolved over the years with each phase of construction clearly marked. If you know your property has undergone numerous changes over the years, you may be pleasantly surprised by what a survey can uncover.

Architectural surveys completed by our staff have revealed blocked doorways, windows, staircases, and even towers hidden in an attic! Through our careful examination of the structure of homes we have also discovered the location of old fireplaces and kitchen hearths, servant sleeping quarters, and even a section of a basement that was once used as a tavern! To learn more about what an architectural survey could reveal about your house, please contact us by phone or e-mail.