Benefits of Researching Your Property

Delving into the history of your home might seem like an endeavor for the excessively curious, but uncovering the past can offer more than just a stroll down memory lane. In fact, there are five compelling reasons to embark on the journey of researching your home’s history.

Rehabilitation: Older homes often fall victim to misguided renovations that strip away their original charm. Researching your home’s history enables you to trace its architectural timeline, revealing its original configuration and design elements. Armed with this insight, homeowners can embark on rehabilitation projects that blend modern conveniences with the historical character of the property.

Historic Designation: Understanding your home’s history can potentially lead to formal recognition through historic designation. Local, state, and national programs offer such designations to houses with significant connections to history, persons, or architecture. Aside from the personal pride associated with owning a historically listed home, there are financial incentives, technical assistance, and exemptions from building codes that may accompany such designations.

Curiosity: If you’re naturally inquisitive about your home’s physical or social history, researching its past can provide answers. Uncover peculiarities in the architecture or learn about the lives of previous occupants, from their accomplishments and occupations to potential historical events that transpired within the walls of your home.

Connection: Drawing parallels with the popularity of genealogy, discovering the past owners of your home can create a meaningful connection. By understanding the roots of your property, you can appreciate its character and charm on a deeper level, fostering a sense of continuity and emotional attachment.

Save Money: Practical benefits also emerge from researching your home’s history, especially in terms of saving money. Understanding the building materials, finishes, and utilities of your home can prevent costly surprises. This knowledge allows for a proactive approach to maintenance and major projects, helping homeowners develop accurate budgets and timelines.

Ultimately, unraveling the history of your home enriches its narrative, turning it from a mere structure into a vessel of stories and character. Whether driven by practical considerations or simple curiosity, the benefits of researching your home’s history extend beyond the realms of nostalgia, offering tangible advantages for homeowners.

Research Tips

Establish a Chain of Title: Start by tracing property ownership through your local assessor’s office. Property cards and online resources may provide initial information.

Follow Your House’s Past: Town clerks’ offices often keep property deeds. Trace the ownership history backward, starting with the previous owner, using online records, or contacting the town or county clerk.

Ask for Help: Navigate through various records like land and probate records with assistance from local historical societies, libraries, town halls, and genealogists.

Check Preconceived Notions: Approach information with skepticism, especially if it contradicts the house’s style or era. Consider alternative perspectives, such as exploring the history of female occupants.

Follow the People: Once a chain of title is established, delve into the social history of past occupants. Explore old newspapers, church records, Ancestry.com, and local history books for insights into the families who lived there.

Historic Uptown Property Research

You can contact us to request help with researching your property. We welcome your sharing what you have uncovered with us to help with our efforts toward obtaining a Historical Preservation Overlay for our neighborhood. We will save all property information in our Google Drive properties folder.

The Historic Uptown Neighborhood Preservation Board has conducted historical research on many of the properties in the neighborhood to apply for a Historic Preservation Overlay. Explore what we have uncovered in the posts below.

Properties Researched

Additional Resources

The following links will help you research historic properties, learn about income tax credits and other preservation incentives, and find tips on maintaining historic buildings.

The staff at the Pikes Peak Library District and the Pioneers Museum Starsmore Center are skilled at assisting residents in researching history.

• Historic House Research – Pikes Peak Library District
• Researching your House or Property – Pioneers Museum
• Archives Collection – Pioneers Museum
• Special Collections – Pikes Peak Library District
• Regional History & Genealogy – Pikes Peak Library District
• City Directories: 1879 – 1922 – Pikes Peak Library District
• House History Research – History Colorado
• Tax Credits – Historic Uptown
• Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps – Library of Congress
• Assessor’s Real Property Search – El Paso County Colorado
• Find A Grave
• National Register Database and Research – National Park Service
• 1790-1950 US Census Search – U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
• Evergreen and Fairview Cemeteries – City of Colorado Springs
• All Historic Preservation Design Guidelines – Colorado Springs
• Historic Map Viewer – City of Colorado Springs
• SpringsView – City of Colorado Springs
• Subdivision Viewer – City of Colorado Springs
• State Historic Grant Fund – History Colorado
• Guide to Asbestos in the Home – The Mesothelioma Center
• Mesothelioma Symptoms & Signs – The Mesothelioma Center