Family History Tips--Part 37

The Genealogical Road Trip Continues: Searching for the Ancestral Homestead

by Brenna Corbit, Instructional Services Librarian

It’s time to pack up the notes you have been gleaning about your ancestors in the archives and start trying to figure out what their lives were like. So far on this road trip, I have taken you to where they are buried, solemn places, indeed. But wouldn’t it be cool if you could drive up to where your great grandmother was born and raised? 

924 Rose Street, Reading, Pa, 

my great grandmother Iola Welfley’s

house where she lived from

1896 to about 1917. 

Photo—Brenna J. Corbit 

My great grandmother, Iola Welfley, grew up at 924 Rose Street, a tiny row home still standing on a half street in Reading, Pa. She shared those small rooms with eight other siblings. I can’t imagine the crowded quarters, no privacy. It makes me appreciate the fact I had only two siblings and my own bedroom. 

Not every city house and farm where they lived may still exist. More often than not, the city street where your 2x great grandfather was born and raised now occupies a college such as RACC, or the old ancestral farmstead has been turned into a strip mall. But if you are lucky, the houses may remain. 

So, how do you go about finding a house? For city homes, numbered addresses can be found in censuses, deeds, immigration papers, marriage license applications, and death certificates, to name a few. Use a city map to locate the property. Early city atlases may also help, especially if street names have changed. Just compare the two maps to locate the property.
If you found your ancestor lived on a farm, there will not be a numbered street address. Census records are a good source to see if the residence is rented or owned (listed as R or O); ownership may also be indicated by a listed real-estate value. If it is owned, you may be able to locate the place in a historic county atlas. Some atlases have property owner indexes. 

If not, you will have to find the township or borough in the atlas and use a magnifying glass and carefully search the names on the map. Some atlases are name searchable online. If you have located it, carefully compare the roads in the atlas (they will most likely not be named) to a present-day county atlas. This can be quite tricky. If you have succeeded in pinpointing a location, it is time to go for a drive.

When you find the city house, think of the period your ancestor lived there. If it was in 1910, does the property look like a house of that timeframe or even older? If so, it is probably the ancestral home you are seeking. Building and architectural style guides can help date buildings. The Yocum Library has several. Look at the house carefully; it may have been remodeled with extensions. I am still trying to determine if a house on the corner of 10th and Walnut Streets in Reading, Pa. is the house owned by my 5x great grandfather Tobias Burkhart. According to early maps of Reading, there is a house depicted on the corner as described in the deed of purchase.

If it is a rural house you are seeking, try to see if there are any old stone farmhouses that match the one depicted in the atlas. If you find one, use some discretion. You don’t want some farmer sticking a shotgun out the door for trespassing, or having a dog chase you back to your car. You could try knocking on the door or talking to someone who might be outside. If you show your notes, old atlas copies and all, you just might not be thought of as a thief casing out the place. At most, you may only get a few pictures taken from your car. Google Street View is an alternative. However, if you are lucky, the person might give a tour of the property. 

I once had the luck of being invited to look at an early 19th century property. I was at the Berks County History Center researching a tannery and home in the county when I was overheard by a patron. It just happened she was the owner of the estate.

Family history is all too often a pile of notes, a family tree, and computer files, but to stand where they once stood and possibly see where they lived, ate, raised children, worked and died is priceless.

Here is a list of a few resources and their availability:

1. Current city atlases - found in most libraries 
2. Historical county atlases - found in most libraries, genealogical and historical societies. 
3. Historic Map Works - a huge online collection of county atlases and more. 
4. Google Maps and Street View
5. Greater Philadelphia GeoHistory Network - interactive map overlays. 
6. Resources at The Yocum Library: 
• Historical Atlas of Berks County, Pennsylvania, 1876 - this is a real gem for locating properties and names
• Historic Architecture of Pennsylvania, by Scott D. Butcher 
• Everyday Architecture of the Mid-Atlantic : Looking at Buildings and Landscapes, by Gabrielle M. Lanier and Bernard L. Herman 
• A Field Guide to American Houses : The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America's Domestic Architecture, by Virginia Savage McAlester 

Using the Philadelphia resource, I was able to locate my 2x great grandfather Andrew L. Britton’s home. Unfortunately, the present location is an empty lot. But I pinpointed the location! Next time, we will explore our ancestors’ places of employment.