House History Research

***The Texana/Genealogy Department and the entire sixth floor of Central Library is currently closed for renovations.***

The department will not provide reference service during this time but will offer interim services out of a location on Central Library’s first floor beginning in July. Please call (210) 207-2500 for information.  

Researching Your House's History  

Beginning the Hunt...

When beginning house history research, where you start hunting depends upon what you already know.  The goal is to use the information you have in hand, and then search various resources to gather additional facts.  If you have an idea when the house was built, or a name of an early owner, city directories are often a great place to start researching.  Land records, newspapers and Sanborn maps can also be of great assistance.