As an old house researcher and Alameda resident, I’m interested in helping unlock the stories of your house through a History Study. In many cases, I have been able to put clients in touch with living former residents who have shared their own memories and photos with current residents.
Utilizing old city building permit documents, city directories, early neighborhood maps, county land records, newspapers, and interviews with past residents, I will prepare a study of your house that includes, at a minimum:
1. Information about the builder of your house, the date your house was built, and a discussion about the style and construction of your home. Included are the original construction and plumbing permits for your house.
2. A detailed chronological listing of the former owners of your home, complete with information from and about past residents and their families.
3. An early map of the neighborhood that shows your house and its pre-1933 address.
4. A narrative report that ties these pieces together into an interesting synopsis of how your house and the immediate surrounding neighborhood have evolved over the years.
5. A visit and walk-through to understand the unique historic characteristics of your home.
Home History Study prices vary depending on the property, with more complicated properties requiring more time. Typical cost of a full study range from $400-$500. The final product, usually about 30 pages, is bound in a fine leather binder and makes a special keepsake or gift. While I specialize in Alameda, I’ve worked in many Northeast Portland neighborhoods and take on old house history research wherever it may be.
For more information, please contact me at 503-281-7694 or by e-mail at alamedahistory@hotmail.com
Other research services are available including assistance locating historic photos; biographical research about former residents, builders or architects; architectural identification and construction mystery solving; historic context statements.
Want to conduct your own oral history with an elder Alamedan? Click here for a suggested list of questions.
