Reading Your House; Researching Your Home Workshop

Reading Your House, Researching Your Home

Many people entering the doors of our Research Library & Archives are searching for information about their home. When was it built? What did it look like originally? Why does it look the way it does now? What can I do to preserve it? Who built it and who lived in it? Our workshop will offer an introduction to some resources and tools that will help anyone discover a little more about their home.
The workshop will take place on Wednesday, November 8, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
The class will introduce attendees to the fundamental tools you’ll need to start seeing your house in a new light. We’ll cover introductory topics on historic architecture including: formal and vernacular architecture, regional differences in house types (pre-1850), basic styles and construction techniques from 1700 to 1920. We’ll also examine various documents related to house construction and occupancy that will give researchers more information about how houses and architecture function. We’ll look at deeds and probate records, mechanics’ liens, maps, census and tax records, and other sources of documentary evidence relating to houses. We’ll also spend part of this session looking at various local and regional resources that relate to the restoration and preservation of historic architecture.
The class will be held at Historical Society Headquarters, 1654 DeKalb Street, Norristown, PA, in the Meeting Room. Cost to attend the class is $25.00 for members of the Historical Society of Montgomery County and $30.00 for nonmembers. Call 610-272-0297 to register.