Regional history fascinates me. I am curious who once lived in the area that makes up my neighborhood, what kind of people they were, and how they choose to build a home in this location.
Pulling together a neighborhood history can be a bit of a daunting task. For people interested in placing their home on the National Register of Historic Places, discovering neighborhood history is an important part of the application process.
Where to begin
Long time residents are often the best resources when it comes to digging up old neighborhood history. If the neighborhood is small, you should know of several people who have lived in the area 30 years or more. These individuals can guide you to other longtime residents as well.
Many people enjoy talking about past history, and from these individuals, anecdotal stories of early neighborhood history can be collected.
Some of the questions that may be asked in the interview could include the following:
What significant changes has the neighborhood seen (redevelopment, socio-economic changes, &etc;);
who were notable early residents;
what businesses and churches used to be located here;
what are the oldest homes in the area,
and what early history can be recalled.
Visiting City Hall
Most cities have a City Historian. These individuals have a great deal of information about city history. They may know if the neighborhood may have changed names over the years, and where additional information might be located.
The Recorder’s Office is another place to visit while at City Hall. This department is a wealth of information when it comes to back records. Old property deeds often have the names of prior neighborhood property owners. Deeds and surveys can also provide insight to when the area was developed. Do visit the the Mapping Department for a record of aerial maps, land surveys, plat maps, and fire maps for the area.
Library research
Many neighborhoods are not listed by name in regional history books. However, early residents were often listed along with important neighborhood and area news. State, Regional and local history books are an excellent place to start. Old newspapers, census records, and the Polk reverse directories can also provide a great deal of information about early residents and businesses. This information can be found at the Public Library,
Your state should also have a Historical Library and Archives administered by the State Historical Society. These facilities house old publications, old photographs, historic records, oral histories and other historical data from around the state. If one of the early residents of your neighborhood self published a history book, or donated early photographs, the Historical Library would have the information.
Do you have a genealogical library in the area? In addition to census records, Genealogy libraries also contain family histories and documents. With any luck, a prominent early resident of the neighborhood may have donated information.
When you’ve exhausted all your research, place a call to the State Historic Preservation Office, known as SHPO. SHPO officers are extremely knowledgeable about state history and can point you in the direction of other resources.
Other places to search
To gather up more information about our neighborhood, we had a neighborhood reunion. The local newspaper provided us with free advertising in the form of a feature story, and nearly 100 former residents came for tea & pastries, and the chance to share memories.
From these former residents, we collected old photographs, names, dates, hand drawn maps and historical events from the past. We were also put in touch with many other former residents who had stories of their own to share.
Collecting a neighborhood history can be a very rewarding and satisfying project. We’ve met many new neighbors, made lots of new friends, and gained a deeper sense of appreciation for the area. Knowing the area history also helped us better understand the significance of our home to the neighborhood.
For more information about how to research your neighborhood, write or email your local State Historic Preservation Office. The web site of the National Register of Historic Places can provide you with a direct link to the SHPO in your state by visiting http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/shpolist.htm.
