Lowell Deeds

One of the most frequent inquiries I receive from the email link on our website is from those interested in researching house histories. Unfortunately, the Registry of Deeds is more interested in who owns the land and not what is built upon it, so our records are of limited use in that area. Still, inferences can often be drawn. For example, if a lot was purchased for $1000 and then a year later was sold for $5000, you can reasonably conclude that something was built upon it. But to get more precise information about a house’s age and architectual lineage, outside reference sources are needed. Two useful books are “A Guide to Tracing the Genealogy of Your Home” by Sally Light and “Discovering the History of Your House and Your Neighborhood” by Betsy Green is another. The website About.com also has a useful section on house histories.