[LastoftheThinkers]

So my wife and I recently purchased a home, and our deed says it was built in 1957. But we know the building was around long before then. It was an old schoolhouse in the 30s (we have 2 pictures of it from then, same exact building) and we have historical evidence it was purchased by a priest in the 1870s to convert it to said schoolhouse. Is this something I should bring up to the city? Also, any thoughts on how I could possibly find more information about my house? The historical society has been next to useless. Some of the design features are... unusual, to say the least.

[kingbuzzo]

I wouldn't invite the attention to the tax man meself...pics for entertainment?

[grandam1979]

Dont open a jar you can’t put the lid back on. Unless you think it’s going to raise the value what’s the point.

[b-man]

All of the above.

What would be the reason to bring likely unwanted attention to your property?

Inviting “local government ineptitude” to the party might be what you’ll end up with.

[LastoftheThinkers]

Originally Posted by b-man

All of the above.

What would be the reason to bring likely unwanted attention to your property?

Inviting “local government ineptitude” to the party might be what you’ll end up with.

Nice callback to my post, that is what got me thinking of posting this in here.

[West Coast GTO]

When you buy a new to you home, you generally pay for and get a title search of the property. That should detail the known history of the property and any liens or encumbrances .

[67drake]

Where I live the county office is where you can go look up parcel history. Might not be tons of info, like pictures, but it should list if it has improvements on the land

[242177P]

Originally Posted by LastoftheThinkers

... deed says it was built in 1957.

Last thing you need is activists thinking it's a historical site.

[LastoftheThinkers]

Originally Posted by West Coast GTO

When you buy a new to you home, you generally pay for and get a title search of the property. That should detail the known history of the property and any liens or encumbrances .

Yes, and they told us it was built in 1957. I am more curious for my own sake at this point.

[West Coast GTO]

Since you paid for a title search and subsequently found out additional info regarding your home, maybe a call to the title insurance company is in order.
Would it not make sense to question them regarding the discrepancy?

[433lemans]

Sounds to me like time to lawyer up. Title search should have revealed history. You pay for title search. These searches should go way back. I've got abstracts for my property from back to the 1800's with property owners listed.
City shouldn't have much to do with it.

[LastoftheThinkers]

Originally Posted by 433lemans

Sounds to me like time to lawyer up. Title search should have revealed history. You pay for title search. These searches should go way back. I've got abstracts for my property from back to the 1800's with property owners listed.
City shouldn't have much to do with it.

That is what I was thinking, it should go all the way back. But I didn't want to poke the bear and cause more issues that I really don't want to deal with, or excessive expenses.

[SRR]

Was your house moved to it's location and then reassembled? My house has a similar story being built in 1942. The guy who built it must have worked for the railroad since the main beams are from a RR trestle and the yard is landscaped with RR ties.

[67drake]

Another idea is if you have Sanborn maps of your area. It will show any building on that particular property.

[LastoftheThinkers]

Originally Posted by SRR

Was your house moved to it's location and then reassembled? My house has a similar story being built in 1942. The guy who built it must have worked for the railroad since the main beams are from a RR trestle and the yard is landscaped with RR ties.

No, the pictures are of the same location on the land. One of the odd decisions of this house is a wine cellar, not unusual for a home of it's time frame, but seeing as it wasn't built as a home initially, and when it became a home wine cellars were not so common, it makes me curious what it originally was (the building).

[LastoftheThinkers]

Originally Posted by 67drake

Another idea is if you have Sanborn maps of your area. It will show any building on that particular property.

I admit I am completely unaware of what these even were. After googling them for my city (which is way smaller back then), it seems my house is beyond the city limits on the old maps (it takes my road to about a quarter mile from where I live). I am having trouble locating a map just outside the city, and it is not part of the city over, I checked. I am going to continue digging into these to see if I can find one though. I appreciate it.

[67drake]

Originally Posted by LastoftheThinkers

I admit I am completely unaware of what these even were. After googling them for my city (which is way smaller back then), it seems my house is beyond the city limits on the old maps (it takes my road to about a quarter mile from where I live). I am having trouble locating a map just outside the city, and it is not part of the city over, I checked. I am going to continue digging into these to see if I can find one though. I appreciate it.

I’m into old architecture. It’s a great tool to trace the history of a house or property, it they did the area you live in