Great House History Discoveries

I never know what I’ll find when I research the history of an older home. I researched more than 80 when I lived in the Chicago area, and more than 30 so far here in Santa Barbara. I’m looking for more local homes to write about — see details below! — and I could use your help. However, since I don’t have a house to write about this month, I thought I’d share some of my favorite discoveries in my work to date.

Old Photos

There are two kinds of vintage homeowners: those who have old photos of their home, and those who want old photos of their home. The owners of some of the homes that I wrote about already had old photos of their home and treasured them.

The circa 1900 home at 324 North Soledad Street is one example. A few months after the current owners moved into the home, a woman knocked on the door and explained that her grandfather had built the home. Along with some information about the home’s past, she had a 1920s photo of the family posed on the porch. If you have an old photo of a home in your family files, I encourage you to share a copy of that photo with the current homeowners.