RESEARCHING HOUSE HISTORY AT DC PUBLIC LIBRARY
LINKS TO ONLINE RESOURCES
*Require a DC Public Library card
For additional assistance contact peoples.archive@dc.gov
RESEARCHING BUILDINGS
MAPS
Boschke 1857-1865 available online via Library of Congress
Hopkins 1887-1896 available online via DigDC (select Real Estate Plat Books)
Baist 1903-1919 available online via Library of Congress
1903-1968 available in print in The People’s Archive
Sanborn 1888-1960 available online with DC Public Library card*
Sanborn Volume Finder
BUILDING PERMITS
Permit to Build
Microfilm 1877-1949 at DC Public Library & National Archives
D.C. Archives 1950-present (schedule appointment to visit)
Other Permits
Microfilm indexes 1877-1958 in DigDC
RESEARCHING PEOPLE
Finding Owners
Recorder of Deeds database 1921- present
Assessment Directories at DCPL on microfilm 1886-2010
Finding Residents in Directories
City Directories print & microfilm 1822-1973 & Ancestry*
Haines (criss-cross) Directories print & microfilm 1974-present
Research Families in Census Records
Heritage Quest* OR Ancestry* databases 1790-1950
1950 Census search by map on Ancestry*
NEWSPAPERS
Available with DC Public Library Card:
The Washington Post* (1877 to present)
The Evening Star* (1852-1981)
National Intelligencer and other Nineteenth Century Newspapers*
Available online through Library of Congress:
Chronicling America Collection of digitized local newspapers
LOCAL REPOSITORIES
D.C. Archives Post-1950 building permits and plans
D.C. Recorder of Deeds Select “Document Images” to conduct pre-1921 deed research.
D.C. History Center Excellent resource for photographs; consult the Wymer Collection in particular for photos of houses. Catalog is searchable by location.
Library of Congress Plat map and city directories largely duplicated by DCPL holdings and many resources are online such as maps, newspapers and photographs.
National Archives Downtown location has a set of the DC Building Permits microfilm; College Park location has building plans (as indicated by “Plans on File” note on permit).
Office of the Surveyor SurDocs online database of all land plats and subdivisions.