House History: Researching Historic Properties

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House History Researching Historic Properties

• Aimee E. Flinn
• Preservation Specialist
• City-County of Spokane Historic Preservation
  Office

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Objectives

• Identify and know the locations of the archives
  and libraries in the area
• Know what information is available and how it can
  be used to tell the story of your historic home
  or building
• Understand the steps to follow to track down
  information on your historic property

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Where do I go?

• NW Room, Spokane Public Library Downtown
• Joel E. Ferris Library, NW Museum or Arts
  Culture (MAC)
• Eastern Regional Archives, Cheney
• City and County of Spokane Building Departments
• Local university and college archives/special
  collections

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Where do I start?

• Spokane County Assessor www.spokanecounty.org/ass
  essor
• The Asssessors Office records the following
  information
• - construction date
• - photographs
• - legal descriptions
• - ownership information
• - square footage
• - remodel dates (if applicable)

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Then.

• Historical field books- available online or at
  the Eastern Regional Archives
• - Go to the Assessors website
  www.spokanecounty.org/assessor
• - Click on Sketch Page
• - Physical/ actual field books are available
  at the Eastern Regional Archives (often includes
  photographs)

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Then what?

• City of Spokane/County of Spokane Building
  Department
• Both Building Departments retain records of all
  permit activity at any given address/location
  such as the following
• - building/construction permits
• - side/water/sewer connections
• - cost of construction/remodel
• - historic ownership information
• - contractors/architects names (if applicable)

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Then.

• R.L. Polk Directories
• Acted as telephone directories for marketing
  purposes and includes the following useful
  information
• - property owner (renters) occupation/ place of
  business
• - name of owner/ renters spouse
• - cross-referenced after 1930

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Then.

• City-County of Spokane/ City of Cheney Historic
  Preservation Offices
• - historic property inventory forms
• - survey reports
• - Spokane and National Register nominations
• (also available at the NW Room and Joel E. Ferris
  Library)

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Specific Resources

• Newspaper collection(s)
• Spokesman-Review
• Spokane Chronicle
• - Indexed at the NW Room, Spokane Public Library
• Clippings in ephemera files at both the NW Room
  and Joel E. Ferris Library
• University/college newspapers available at
  associated campus

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Specific Resources

• Historic Maps
• Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps
• Shows how neighborhoods and individual properties
  have changed
• Shows how buildings may have changed/been altered
  through time
• Historic plats/ street names

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Specific Resources

• Photographs
• Libby Collection
• Located at the Joel E. Ferris Library
• Organized by street address and subject

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Specific Resources

• Books
• - Robert Hyslops Spokane Building Blocks
• - information on every building in downtown
  Spokane
• - N.W. Durhams History of the City of Spokane
  and Spokane County Washington From Its Earlier
  Settlement to the Present Time

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Specific Resources

• For information on campus/ university properties,
  visit your local college!
• - Eastern Washington University Special
  Collections, JFK Library- Charles Mutschler
• - Whitworth Archives, Harriet Cheney Cowles
  Library- Janet Hauck
• - Gonzaga Special Collections, Foley Library-
  Sharon Prendergast

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The two most asked questions

• Where can I find architectural plans (blue
  prints) of my house?
• Where can I find historic photographs of my
  house/building?

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• NW Room, Spokane Public Library
• Contact
• Rayette Sterling
• 906 W. Main, Spokane
• rsterling_at_spokanelibrary.org
• [phone]
• Hours Tuesday, 1-8pm, Mon.-Sat., 1-6pm
• - Vertical files
• - Photographs
• - Polk Directories

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• Joel E. Ferris Library, Museum or Arts Culture
• Contact
• Rose Krause
• 2316 W. First, Spokane
• rosek_at_northwestmuseum.org
• [phone]
• Hours Tues.-Thurs. 11-5pm (or by appt.)
• - Vertical files
• - Extensive photographic collection
• - Polk Directories

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• Eastern Regional Archives, Cheney
• Contact
• 960 Washington Street, Cheney (EWU)
• era_at_secstate.wa.gov
• [phone]
• Hours Mon.-Fri. 8-430pm
• - Polk Directories
• - County Assessor Field Books
• - Public Records

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• City-County of Spokane Historic Preservation
  Office
• Contact
• Aimee E. Flinn
• 808 W. Spokane Falls, Spokane
• aflinn_at_spokanecity.org
• [phone]
• www.historicspokane.org

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• City of Cheney Historic Preservation
• Contact
• Sue Beeman
• 112 Anderson Road, Cheney
• Sbeeman_at_cityofcheney.org
• [phone]
• www.cityofcheney.org/site/history/preservation