Interested in searching the history of your Lower Hudson home? Here's how

A house is more than bricks and mortar. It has a story to tell.

Everyone who lives in a house leaves their mark on it. Tracing the history of a house helps people understand whose footsteps they are following in. It may also shine a light on historic properties that need to be preserved.

Barbara Davis, co-director at the Westchester County Historical Society, said searching house history is the most popular request local historical societies receive.

“You’re doing this not just for your house," she said. "You want to know more about how your neighborhood evolves, and even more importantly, what needs to be protected. It’s a sense of pride in understanding the neighborhood and a community’s past.”

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The local assessor’s office is usually a good place to start to locate parcel and deed numbers and previous owners of your property. Then you can go to the county clerk’s office or use an online database to find deed records.

Once you have established a deed chain, you can explore the history of the people who lived in the house and picture the past of your neighborhood by searching old directories, newspapers, books, maps and atlas.

"It's a great family project. If you get your kids involved, it gives them a sense of pride and accomplishment," Davis said.

You may also get a clue to date your house by taking a good look at the architectural style.

Rockland County historian Marianne Leese said red sandstone houses, for example, are unique to the area. If you live in those homes, which could be the bequests of Dutch settlers, your house likely dates back to the 1800s.

Talking to your neighbors can also be helpful. People who have lived in the neighborhood for a long time may have a lot of information to share. It might not be entirely accurate, but you get great stories and a sense of what went on, Davis said.

"It's like being a history detective. If you like history and the idea of solving a mystery, it's fun," Leese said. "It can be challenging, but I've known people who really dig into it and come up with some interesting information."

Maybe you’ll discover your neighborhood was one of the many George Washington passed through. Or perhaps that a Broadway performer or some other notable figure lived in your house.

Here are the resources for searching house history in Westchester and Rockland counties.

• Westchester County Clerk’s Office

The County Clerk’s Office is home to millions of land and legal records, including deeds dated to 1680 and mortgages recorded as far back as 1950. You can use public viewing terminals to access land documents at the office, at 110 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd., White Plains or visit an online database.

• Westchester County Records Center

Westchester County Records Center is located at 2199 Saw Mill River Road, Elmsford. It houses the county's archives and historical society. You can use free public viewing terminals to access land documents and research materials, including deeds, naturalization records, maps, photographs, non-circulating books, manuscripts, directories and more.

• Rockland County Clerk's office

You can search and view land-related legal documents online, such as mortgages, deeds, satisfactions and assignments.

• Rockland County Historical Society and Archives

You'll find old maps at Rockland County Historical Society that may pinpoint previous owners of houses. County Archives collects court records, maps, atlases, deeds and mortgages records, tax and assessment rolls dated back to the 1700s.

• Old newspapers

You can search the names of people who lived in your house in newspapers. You might find their names in news articles, obituaries or marriage announcements. New York Public Library, New York Historic Newspapers and Historical Newspapers all have searchable newspapers archives.

• Directories

Phone books from long ago may tell what people did for a living. You can find those directories in local libraries, historical societies or online resources such as Heritage Quest and Ancestry Library.

• Maps and Atlas

Old maps may show how your neighborhood developed over the years. The Westchester County archives have online atlas and map collections dated to the 1860s. You can also view maps at Old Maps Online.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: How to search the history of your house in Westchester, Rockland NY