Research Diary of Historic House Research in Prince George's County, Maryland

My first step was to examine several books about Hyattsville, Prince George's County, Maryland, and about conducting research. These provided a good background for the area and where to start my research. This material put the house in the larger context of the town of Hyattsville, and the county and state. Now I will understand the significance of certain names, events and places as they relate to the house I am researching.

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STEP 2: MAPS

Continuing my research today I looked at the Digital Sanborn Maps on the Computers at the University of Maryland Libraries. Since the owner told me the house was built in 1911, I consulted the 1911 map first, but was unable to find the house on the map. Since the next map available in my area was from 1922, I knew the house would be on that map. I searched each sequential map and found my house on each one.

I found the square number, listed for the block on the map, and the lot number, which was the individual number for my specific parcel of land. I watched how the house progressed overtime by consulting the Sanborn Key. I found changes in out buildings and methods of heating. I confirmed the construction materials I also learned that the street has changed since the house was built. This made it difficult to locate the home at first; however, by consulting a current online map of the neighborhood I located the house on the Sanborn Map. I recorded all of this information in my notes for future reference. Now that I have the lot and square number, as well as the year of construction, I am ready to review land records.

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STEP 3: LAND RECORDS

Tax assessments are a great way to trace the chain of title; however, you have to work backwards. I went to the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation site to find the information on the current owner. There I located three former owners, which was an important contribution to my chain of title. On the other hand, these records only dated back to 2000, and while the owner in 2000 may have owned the property beforehand, I'll need to trace further back to confirm.

A second useful land record resource is MDLandRec.net, which is a great way to find deeds for a house online. You have to set up an account first, which may take a day or two. Once you get your access information you can begin researching. I used the earliest deed record on the Tax Assessment for the house to begin tracing back ownership. I selected Prince Georges County from the sidebar and then entered the liber and folio numbers into the boxes in the center. This took me to the last deed. I scanned through the deed to find the a reference to a previous deed. This is usually toward the bottom of the deed. Once you find the deed reference be sure it matches the property boundaries (some deeds refer to multiple properties) and the enter the liber and folio number into the boxes at the top, right-hand corner. This will take you to the next deed. Continue this pattern as far back as possible, reading carefully to be sure the deed reference matches the property each time.

A Note About Deeds: Recent deeds are much easier to read than earlier deeds because the newer ones are type written. Older deeds are handwritten and can be hard to decipher. Be sure to utilize the manipulation tools on the side of the deeds to get a clearer image.

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STEP 4: CITY DIRECTORIES

While I wait for my next visit to the Archives, I'm looking at the city directories for Hyattsville, available in the Maryland Room at the University of Maryland. There I located several owners from the mid 1920s, and the 1940s and 1950s-1960s. This information gives me three new families, and a number of names, to add to my data. I've also learned the occupation of several residents from the directories.

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STEP 5: NEWSPAPERS

Now that I have a number of names attached to the house, I am looking them up on the Washington Post Historical database at the University of Maryland Library. I've discovered an interesting article about the store owned by one of the house's occupants, and found several obituaries and notices of invitations to social engagements. It's interesting to see how important social engagements were in the past and how many are listed in the newspapers. You can learn a lot about the status of an occupant by their social circle. I've also learned several names of children and spouses and looked them up both in the papers and online. With the internet, there is always a chance you may find information about someone online through a search engine such as Google. While internet searching can yield many results, it is important to carefully weed through these to be sure you have found the right person, and not someone else with the same name.

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STEP 6: CENSUS DATA

While I have an idea of who was living in the house from the 1940s onward, I need to know who lived there in its earlier days. I decided to consult the census' from 1930 and 1920. I discovered that the same family lived there over that time span. Since the house was built in 1911, the 1910 census will be of no use. Now I have a pretty good idea of who lived in this house over time; however, the tax assessments at the Maryland State Archives should help me fill in the holes.

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STEP 7: GET ONLINE

• Prince George's County Land Records Division
• Prince George's County Historical Society
• Prince George's County Memorial Library System

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With the records from the Maryland State Archives and the other information I have gathered, I can now piece together the history of the home in Hyattsville, Maryland.