Researching Your Home: What Are You Looking For?

Many of Boston's residential buildings are old enough that the current owners don't have and can't find important information about their homes. Some questions you might have about your home, now or when you're considering renovations:

• How old is my house?
• Who is the architect?
• How do I find plans of my house?                                               
• What style is my house?
• Who lived there?
• What color should my house be painted?
• How do I restore my house?

You can find out some of this information online, using the resources in this guide. You can also visit your local branch of the Boston Public Library, or come to the Arts department at the Central Library in Copley Square for the most historical information.

...or can you?

• Boundaries of Boston neighborhoods have shifted over the years, some street names/numbers have changed;

• Documents may be missing and incomplete, and there are many gaps before 1900;

• Some documents have been missing for years, perhaps stolen, such as the original plans for Fenway Park.