Whether it's a house you recently purchased, a property that has been in your family for generations, or a building you've long walked by and wondered about, researching the built environment around you is a great way to become immersed in District history. What we call "house history" is in many ways the story of the people - the architects, the builders, the lawmakers, the bankers, the developers, the owners, the residents - who have shaped the neighborhoods that make DC what it is today. You may start with researching when the property was built ... and find yourself chasing down the occupations and lives of residents as well as researching the laws and customs that guided who could live where. The resources gathered here are among the many avenues down which you can meander in the search for the story behind the property.
With online resources and remote reference, in-person access via a research appointment or house history workshop in the Kiplinger Research Library, or through visiting another local repository such as the DC Public Library's People's Archive, there is no one-stop shop when it comes to resources available in the course of conducting house history.
It helps to take stock of what you already know, and what information you're looking for. If you know the resource you need, check the Resources by Type tab for the link. If you know what you're looking for, but don't know which resource may hold the answer, check the Resources by the Questions They Help Answer tab.
