How old

is this old house?

 

It can be tricky to set a precise age for homes that were built 100 years ago or more. Records are inconsistent, incomplete, and sometimes unreliable. 

 

But, it can be done. Check this case study and learn how to do your own research.

 

To begin with, we offer a disclaimer from the Polk County Property Appraiser’s office acknowledging the potential for incorrect data in their database, largely due to the source material, record management, and many system changes over a very long time. A map of homes in the Lake Morton area with “year built” dates from before 1920 simply doesn’t match with a map of homes identified on the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps, which guided Jim Edwards and his colleagues as they walked the neighborhood and visually confirmed the location of the homes as they were preparing for its registration as an historic district.

 

So, if you can find you home there, you can be sure. The most useful map at this time was issued in 1917, and the next update was 1922, which is also the last one. A listing the R.L. Polk Directory - available for you review in the Lakeland Room at the Public Library - can also verify the date.

 

The next strategy involves obtaining a property abstract from the title company that last issued documents for your old house. A property abstract is a collection of legal documents that chronicle transactions associated with a particular parcel of land. Generally included are references to deeds, mortgages, wills, probate records, court litigations, and tax sales—basically, any legal document that affects the property.

 

The abstract will show the names of all property owners, how long a particular holder owned it, and the price of the land when it was sold. Rarely will an abstract mention capital improvements to the property. Property abstracts are considered good starting places for research on historical buildings.

 

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