Home Is Where the History Is

If your house could talk, what would it say? Finding out is one way to engage kids in research, writing, history, and architecture. The historical treasure hunt could result in a scrapbook, recorded oral histories, an illustrated timeline, or simply an appreciation for the place you call home. "This is a great opportunity to show your third through sixth grader that information comes in many different forms: from maps to city records to conversations with older people who can offer a unique perspective," says Jean Spraker, former college history major and school-improvement researcher at the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. A good place to start your journey back in time is right on your doorstep. Take some time with your child to really look at your house and notice what makes it different or the same as its neighbors. Are there distinguishing features like fancy wood trim, shingles, a different-shaped roof, unusual hardware? You might want to take photographs and even make sketches of the things you find. Together, write down what you already know about your home. When did your family move in and who lived there just before you? Do you know when the house was constructed and who the original owners were? Who designed or built it? Chat with neighbors, especially people who've lived in the area for a long time. What do they recall about your house and your street? Can you find anyone who remembers things like having ice delivered or when electricity was installed? You might jot down their memories to incorporate in a scrapbook or even tape record conversations for an oral history. See if long-time residents are willing to share old photographs that document "events" in the neighborhood or show how it's changed. Now it's time to do some sleuthing with a trip to your city or county courthouse to look up deeds, title documents, building plans, permits, and other records. Consulting property tax records will reveal your home's original value. Building permits yield information about the builder, owner, architect, materials, and original cost. A visit to the library helps uncover other clues: for example, check newspaper archives to learn what was happening when your house was built. Your library might also be the place to look for fire insurance maps (also called Sanborn maps) that provide a detailed historical record of the urban landscape from the 1790s up until the 1960s. Nearly every U.S. town and city with a population of 2,000 or more was surveyed for insurance purposes, and detailed maps were created showing the original shape of structures, the materials used, and how neighborhoods developed over time. When you've finished your detective work, you'll probably never look at your home the same way. "Kids will get the sense that things change, and they might just develop a sense of community and what it means to have a neighborhood," says Spraker.