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Researching your house history is an exciting way to learn more about your property's past and the development of your neighborhood. Using a variety of resources here at Providence City Hall you will uncover clues that will help you to construct your home "genealogy."

The journey to discover your property's history can be fun but it does require some patience, persistence and a critical eye. Be objective. Some helpful tools to have handy are a digital camera, a magnifying glass and a laptop computer or notebook.

Step 1: Know Your Home
Start by taking a few exterior photos of your house. Get a feel for the general style of your house. Do you notice certain interior or exterior details? Does your house look like others in the neighborhood? Does it look like the house was altered? Perhaps even talking to neighbors who have lived on the street for some time may remember changes that were made to your home.

Step 2: Pre-existing History

• The Providence Preservation Society maintains the Mary A. Gowdey database which contains hundreds of Providence house histories (organized chronologically along with citations and some photos) compiled by Mrs. Gowdey starting in the 1956. The City Archives also has copies of these files.

• The Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission maintains the Rhode Island National Register Property database which also includes historical surveys for seven Providence neighborhoods. Information on incentives such as the preservation easement program and low interest loans for rehabilitation can also be found here.

Step 3: Assessor's Office
A trip to the Assessor's Office on the second floor will allow you to (using their computers) convert your street address into a plat and lot number. You can also print out a "Chain of Title" (list of property owners) for your plat/lot which often identifies deed book and page numbers for real estate transfers.

Step 4: City Archives
Head up to the fifth floor with your "Chain of Title," ask for the "Plat Map" for your lot and take a photo of it. Using the 'City Atlases" & "Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps," begin with 1956 and work your way back in time (1798 is the earliest record) while noting (& taking photos of) modifications to the property, street name & address (changed frequently in 19th Century), etc.

Step 5: Recorder of Deeds
Across the way, using you "Chain of Title" printout, research the land evidence records by checking the "Grantee" (buyer) & "Grantor" (seller) Indexes (organized by name). Find the corresponding "Deed Book" (next to homeowner's name) where a detailed description of your property along with any easements or other encumbrances is listed. You will, in most cases, also find the name of the prior owner along with a prior deed and book number.

Step 6: Probate Records
Answers to gaps in your title chain might be found in "Probate" and/or "Vital Records." Most of these early records are housed in the City Archives. There the "Index to the Probate Records, 1646-1899" and subsequent indexes that cover the period through 1995 can be very helpful in locating wills, guardianships, adoption records and the administration of estates.

Step 7: Directories
The "Providence City Directory" (1824 - Present, annual) & "Providence House Directory" (1895 - 1935, bi-annual) are useful tools in determining the construction date of a house and provide useful information on its occupants over the years. Ancestry.com is another valuable tool as it provides a massive searchable database with photos and more.

Step 8: Intentions to Build
"Intentions to Build" (1878 - 1946) provides valuable information that can include the name and address of the owner, street line and grade, date of filing of the intention to build, type of improvement to be constructed, builder and estimated cost of construction. "Building Permits" are also helpful as they identify a house construction date and trace alterations to your home.

Step 9: Tax Books and Ledgers
"Tax Books" (1827 - Present, annual) contain listings alphabetically by owner's name with real estate and personal assessment amounts along with the amount of tax. The limitation is that they list only the total assessment and tax liability of the individual. After 1887 the books began listing taxes assessed on property by individual plat and lot.

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Other Resources

Rhode Island Historical Society Library
Has an extensive photo archive as well as a nearly complete collection of city and town directories and local newspapers on microfilm.

Providence Public Library
Has very extensive card index of the Providence Journal (approximately 1900-2004) and the library's Rhode Island Collection has amassed over 10,000 books and 7,000 photos.

The Providence Preservation Society
Maintains the Mary A. Gowdey database which contains hundreds of Providence house histories compiled by Mrs. Gowdey starting in the 1956 and carried on by a number of subsequent researchers. The Providence City Archives also has copies of these files.

Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission
Maintains the Rhode Island National Register Property database which also includes historical surveys for seven Providence neighborhoods. Information on incentives such as the preservation easement program and low interest loans for rehabilitation can also be found here.

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Have questions? The staff at the Providence City Archives are here to assist you in researching your home's history. You don't need an appointment so stop by any weekday and let your voyage of discovery begin!

The archives staff want to acknowledge the generous assistance of Carole Pace and Katherine Cavanaugh in the preparation of this guide.