| Material |
Sources |
Potential Information Yielded |
Possible Application to National
Register Nomination |
| Abstract of Title |
- Owner
- Office of attorney who did title search
- Title company files
|
- Summary of relevant deeds, mortgages, wills, litigation,
tax sales
- Names of owners
- Dates when property changed hands
- Descriptions of legal boundaries
|
- Possible establishment of "association" with
significant individuals
- Establishment of built dates and alterations
- Boundary descriptions
- Historic names of properties
|
| Architectural / Construction Drawings |
- Owner
- Architectural/engineering firm or successor firm
- Headquarters of organization or firm that built the structure
- Recent tax assessor's records
- Newspaper references
|
- Architect/builder
- Plans
- Materials
- Built dates and alterations
- General construction information
|
- Appearance of original building and any major additions
- Integrity of property
- Period of significance and significant dates if nominated
under Criterion C
|
| Architectural Journals |
- Specialized fine arts libraries
- Original architectural publications
|
- Architectural articles from historic period
- Architectural biographies
- Architectural drawings and photographs
|
- Architectural description
- Statement of significance
|
| Building Permits |
- Municipal building inspector
- City/county records office
- City/county/State archives
|
- Architect
- Existence of architectural drawings
- Client
- Contractor
- Cost and date of work
- Alterations
|
- Information for Criterion C: significant style or type
of design
- Identification of the architect or builder
- Material for description
- Establishment of integrity
- Built dates
|
| Cemetery Records |
- Cemetery administrators
- Cemetery offices
- Churches, rectories, and diocesan offices
- City hall and courthouse
|
- Family relationships
- Birth and death dates
|
- Biographical details of individuals associated with property
|
|
Census Records (1)
- Population
- Agricultural
- Manufacturing
|
- State archives
- Federal Records Center, Suitland, MD
|
- Residents of property for years census taken
- Property ownership
- Acreage, crops, and livestock
- Types and locations of manufacturers
- Ethnic backgrounds of residents, ages, and education levels
|
- Names of family members
- Proven association of individual with property
- Occupations
- Under agricultural and manufacturing data, potential documentation
and justification for Criteria A and D
- Historic context
|
| Church Records |
- Parish churches
- Diocesan offices
|
- Birth
- Death
- Baptism
- Marriages
|
- Biographical details of individuals associated with property
|
| City Council or County Minutes, Ordinances,
Etc |
- City clerk
- Clerk of superior court or county courthouse
|
- Ordinances of resolution affecting a property, subdivision,
etc.
- Dates
- Description
|
- Information pertaining to area of significance, e.g.,
community planning and developmen
|
| Commercial Histories |
- Head offices of companies
- Local or regional libraries
- Historical societies
- Corporate records
|
- Histories of local industries and businesses
|
- Information pertaining to area of significance, e.g.,
commerce, economics, and industry
- Justification for significance of industrial and commercial
properties and downtown historic districts
|
| Community/County Histories |
- Local/regional libraries
- Historical societies
- Fraternal organizations
|
- Information about structures, people, and events: pertinent
dates, locations, activities, biographical sketches, etc.
|
- Information about events, activities, and individuals
for Criteria A, B, and C
- Association: information that may tie events and activities
directly to the property
- Leads to other sources of information
- Historic context
|
Corporate Business Records
- Ledger Books
- Client Files
- Advertisements
|
- Corporate/business archives
- Specialized libraries
- Present corporation/business
|
- Nature and source of items sold
- Economic base of community
|
- Information pertaining to area of significance, e.g.,
commerce, economics, and industry
|
| Court Documents |
- Courthouses
- State archives
|
- Civil and criminal indices: civil and criminal court actions,
divorces, property suits, etc.
- Voting rolls (may be more easily obtained in smaller communities)
- Probate records
|
- Biographical details of individuals associated with property
|
| Deeds |
- Clerk of superior court, county courthouse
- State archives
|
- Ownership or title
- Property value (noticeable change in value could indicate
construction, additions, change in makeup of neighborhood,
and change in fortunes of the community)
|
- Proven association of individual with property
- Dates of original construction and any additions
|
| Directories (3) and Gazetteers |
- Local/regional libraries
- Historical societies
|
- City directories: occupants of dwelling by alphabetical
listing, addresses, and businesses
- Business directories: lists of merchants, addresses, and
advertisements
- Social directories: names of community's social elite
listed alphabetically and by streets; hotel occupants
- Gazetteers: information on rural areas, businesses, and
towns
|
- Criteria A and B
- Association of property with individual
|
|
Estate Records
- Wills
- Inventories and appraisals
- Administration of estates,
- Annual returns and sales
|
- Office of the judge of probate/ county courthouse/town
hall
- State archives (prior to 1900)
- Private records
- Historical societies
|
- Value and apparent wealth and size of dwelling
- Property changes
- Ownership changes
- Rental information
- Sales of land that may never have been recorded by deeds
|
- Family relationships
- Significant events
- Clues to other sources
- Information about building
|
|
Family / Personal Papers
- Letters
- Diaries,
- Ledger books, etc.
- Bibles
- Published family histories
|
- Present owners
- Past owners
- State archives
- Descendants
- Genealogical libraries and bibliographies
- Local/regional libraries
- Historical societies
- State/Federal archives
|
- Ownership
- Descriptions
- Photographs
- Architectural Plans
- History/events
|
- Family relationships
- Record of significant events
- Information on significant persons
- Appearance of original building
|
| Genealogical Records |
- Historical societies
- State and national archives
- Local/regional libraries
- Biographical publications
- Genealogical publications and libraries
- "Vanity press" county histories and family histories
- Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, Genealogical
Society
|
- Biographies of individuals
- Family histories
- Photographs and drawings of home and family members
|
- Information about family homes
- Criteria A, B, C, and D
- Association of individuals with property and events
|
| Homestead Records (for some Western States) |
- Federal Records Center, Suitland, MD
- Bureau of Land Management, State offices (for patent numbers)
|
- Application indices: When and where buildings and structures
were located on homestead, marital status, children, ages,
and national origin
|
- Proven association of individual with property
- Information pertaining to area of significance, e.g.,
agriculture
|
| Insurance Records |
- Owners (past and present)
- Insurance company offices (sometimes only main or regional
offices)
|
- Floor plans
- Dates of construction
- Increases in premiums that may indicate when a change
was made to the structure
|
- Appearance of original building and any additions
|
| Interviews and Oral Histories |
- Current or former owners, occupants, and observers
|
- Personal recollections about property: its original appearance,
evolution, and uses.
|
- Leads about verification of appearance of original building
and any additions
- Significance of owner and property
|
| Land Records |
- Bureau of Land Management, Washington, DC 20240 (contact
for general material and addresses of State offices)
|
- Information concerning properties and people, dates, locations,
events, activities, and biographies associated with them
- Former General Land Office (GLO) holdings, including:
- Homestead patents
- Mining district and patented claim records
- GLO maps and plats
|
- Proven association of individuals or Federal agency with
property
- Information pertaining to area of significance, e.g.,
agriculture, conservation, and exploration/settlement
|
|
Maps and Plats (4)
- Town maps
- Property plats
- Private and family maps
- Land ownership maps
- "Bird's Eye View" maps
- Developer's town layouts
- Tourist maps
- Landscaping firm layouts
- Sanborn or Baist Insurance maps
|
- County courthouse
- City hall
- Printed books
- Local/regional libraries
- University/college collections
- Surveyor general
- Library of Congress
- Architect's/landscape architect's firm records
|
- Location
- Boundaries
- Uses
- Outbuildings
|
- Boundary information
- Criterion C
- Integrity of property
|
| Military Records |
- National Archives: Prior to World War I
- Federal Resources Center, St. Louis, MO: From World War
I
|
- Pension records, addresses, and status
- Various materials, including personal letters, family
bibles, and marriage certificates
|
- Biographical details of individuals associated with property
|
| Newspapers / Sunday Supplements |
- Local/regional libraries
- State/Federal archives
- Historical societies
- Newspaper morgues
|
- Advertisements: names of occupant/owner, address of property,
and use of structure
- Society pages: gossip columns; articles pertaining to
local social events, ceremonies, weddings, births, and meetings
- Obituaries: information about owners and architects
- Articles about local building efforts, architecture, etc.
- Birth, death, and wedding announcements
|
- Criteria A, B, and C
- Function
- Description of property
- Building dates
- Significance of property and owner
|
| Photographs and Postcards |
- Owners
- Historical societies
- Local antique shops and flea markets
- Local/regional libraries
- State archives
|
- Architectural and landscape features
- Alterations
- Associated structures
- Associated with persons and events
|
- Appearance of original building and any additions
- Integrity of property
|
| Tax Records |
- Judge of probate: city/county courts
- Tax assessor
- State archives
- City/county clerk
|
- Description of structures
- Dates
- Evolution of property in relation to city limits or county
development
- Drawings and plans
- Increases in valuation may suggest new improvements or
construction
|
- Relative value of property
- Proven association of individual with property
- Integrity of property
|
