The home I grew up in is still standing. The homes I remember my grandparents living in are not. The home one set of paternal great-grandparents lived in and owned is lived in by a descendant. The home a maternal set of great-grandparents lived in is still standing.
The others I’m not so certain of.
Do you know whether the homes your various ancestors lived in are still standing yet today? Do you even know all the homes they lived in? This can be difficult to determine for those ancestors who rented properties and moved frequently. I know where two of my grandparents lived from their birth until their marriage. The other two I have a general idea where they lived, but no specific location. Those with ancestors in urban locations may be able to obtain street addresses from census records, city directories, and other materials. Those with rural ancestors who were not landowners (particularly before the 1920s) may have more difficulty finding a specific residential address. Rural newspapers in some cases may help to pinpoint where tenants lived when “spring moves” are discussed in local gossip columns.
Even if I can’t find out about all the houses, the exercise might yield some genealogical fruit.
Help support Genealogy Tip of the Day by visiting any of the following sites:
- Try a GenealogyBank Genealogy Search to see what you find.
- AncestryDNA offers
- Books on Michael’s Genealogy Shelf
2 Responses
I visted a town in Illinois and found the home my paternal great grandmother grew up in still standing.
Also the home that she and my great grandfather lived in and raised 5 children is still lived in.
My Grand Uncle and his wife bought a home in Los Angeles, reportedly built by a Civil War Officer for his bride. The place was a mini mansion. Three stories and a basement. My Grand Uncle and Aunt lived in the main floor and turned the second floor into two separate apartments, and the third floor into a Bachelor pad. Unfortunately, this couple never had any children of their own. My Grand Uncle passed, first and I spent a good two weeks up in L.A. with my Grand Aunt. I had just graduated high school. My eldest son took his very first steps in the livingroom of that fine, amazing house. I was newly pregnant with a third child when I got the news that my Aunt had also passed. Unfortunately, the thing she didn’t want to happen, happened. The house fell to her nephew and he SOLD it. It was demolished by the new ‘owner’ so he could put in apartments. Face/palm.
One home from my Sixth great-grandfather still exits. It’s owned by the State of Tennessee, they made it a State Park. I’ve yet to go there, but I do look forward to it. His father’s house was still standing in Virginia as late as 1961, when our family history book was published. I have a hope that one day I shall be able to see that, too, if only from the street. Other than that, it’s an open question.