HSMC: Reading your house, researching your home

NORRISTOWN >> Many people entering the doors of the Historical Society of Montgomery County’s Research Library & Archives are searching for information about their home. When was it built? What did it look like originally? Why does it look the way it does now? What can I do to preserve it? Who built it and who lived in it? Reading Your House, Researching Your Home will offer an introduction to resources and tools that will help anyone discover a little more about their home.

This workshop will introduce the fundamental tools needed to start seeing your house in a new light. Executive Director Barry Rauhauser will cover introductory topics on historic architecture including: formal and vernacular architecture, regional differences in house types (pre1850), basic styles and construction techniques from 1700 to 1920, how to measure and draw a house, and how to look around at the landscape of houses in Montgomery County.

Attendees will have the opportunity to examine various documents related to house construction and occupancy that give researchers more information about how houses and architecture function. Among the items examined are deeds and probate records, mechanics’ liens, maps, census and tax records, and other sources of documentary evidence relating to houses. Part of the session will include looking at various local and regional resources that relate to the restoration and preservation of historic architecture.

The class will be held Dec. 7, 2022 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Historical Society of Montgomery County, 1654 DeKalb Street, Norristown. Reservation fee for the class: $20 for Society members; $30 for nonmembers. Seating is limited; to reserve a space or for additional information, call the Society at 610-272-0297.

The Historical Society of Montgomery County, established in 1881, is located at 1654 DeKalb St. in Norristown.