A house-history keepsake
The true story of your house, from the original records.
A hardcover book built from historic maps, old newspapers and public records, with every fact checked by a person. Your lot, circled, on maps a century old.
Sample cover · 1893 U.S. Geological Survey map of Salem, Mass.
How it works
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1. Send the address
Tell us the street, the city and your best guess at the year the house was built. A guess is fine. We can take it from there.
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2. We research the original records
U.S. Geological Survey maps, census and county records, city directories and digitized old newspapers. A person checks every fact before anything is printed.
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3. A hardcover arrives
Printed, bound and shipped in 14 to 21 days, to your door or straight to the person you're giving it to.
Two editions
Every book is researched from primary public records and checked by a person, then printed and shipped in 14 to 21 days.
Any home, any age
The Land Story
$169
- Your lot circled on historic U.S. Geological Survey maps, oldest to today
- A then-and-now map spread
- The land's history, era by era, and how your street was laid out
- Old newspaper clippings and a full sources page
- Hardcover, 8.5 × 8.5 in, 24+ pages
Homes built before 1950
The Residents EditionMost complete
$249
- Everything in The Land Story
- Who lived there: census households through 1950, then later owners from deed records up to 1980
- City directories and old newspaper mentions of past residents
- A Sanborn fire-insurance map of your block, where one survives
- Hardcover, 8.5 × 8.5 in, 24+ pages
Samples shown use public-domain maps of Salem, Massachusetts (USGS 1893; Sanborn 1906, Library of Congress).
Inside the book
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Your lot, circled, on maps a century old
Every chapter opens with the government survey closest to that era, your lot circled in red, plus a then-and-now spread of the same ground decades apart.
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Who lived behind your front door
For homes built before 1950, the Residents Edition names the households who lived at your address, census by census through 1950, then later owners from deed records up to 1980. We never name the people who own it now.
Who it's for
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Owners of older homes
The people who have always wondered who lived here before them, and what the street looked like before their block existed.
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Housewarming and holiday gifts
A gift that is about the recipient's own house. New homeowners, anniversaries, parents and grandparents.
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Realtor closing gifts
A hardcover that arrives after the sale and gets kept on the coffee table. Ask us about ordering for several closings at once.
Questions
What if the records for my address are thin?
Some streets leave a lighter paper trail than others, so we check the records for your address before anything is printed. If we can't make a book we're proud of, we'll tell you and refund you in full.
How long does it take?
Your book ships in 14 to 21 days from your order, then typically 3 to 7 business days for U.S. delivery. If we're running late, we'll email you a new ship date and you can cancel for a full refund. If you need it by a certain date, tell us when you order and we'll say honestly whether we can make it.
Will you name the people who lived in my house?
Yes, in the Residents Edition (for homes built before 1950): up to 1980, and never the people who own it now.
- Through 1950 we name the households the census recorded at your address. The 1950 census is the newest one open to the public; the 1960 census doesn't open until 2032.
- From 1950 to 1980 the story continues with later owners, named only from deed records.
- For anyone after 1950, the only newspaper clippings we use are about neutral events such as weddings, births and awards. We never include crime, divorce or foreclosure.
We never name the current owners, or anyone after 1980.
My house is new. Is there still a story?
Yes. The Land Story is about the ground, not just the building. Even a house built last decade sits on land with a long history: who lived there first, whose ranch or farm it was, when the road arrived, and how the neighborhood grew around it. For homes built after 1950, The Land Story is the book for you.
Where does the research come from?
Primary public records: U.S. Geological Survey historic maps, Sanborn fire-insurance maps from the Library of Congress where they survive, census records, city directories, county and plat records, and digitized newspapers. Every fact is checked by a person and listed with its source at the back of the book.
What if I'm not happy with it?
If your book arrives damaged or we got a fact wrong, tell us within 30 days of delivery and we'll reprint it free.
Get a free preview of your address
Tell us the address and we'll email back one page: your lot on the oldest government map we can find, which census years and directories should cover the house, and one early fact with its source. Free, no card needed.