Unlocking the History of Your Home

Uncovering the history of a house is a process that can sometimes seem a little out of reach. However, with this guide, a keen eye and a desire to learn anyone can become a house-historian.

Research- The first step in the process is research. Historical data can be gathered from many sources. These are some that were especially helpful during our search. The information found at these sites may overlap slightly so in the end the same data was sometimes gathered twice.

Department of Neighborhood Services/ Permits office (809 N Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202) – The first step was to visit this office, located downtown, and request microfilm archives for the address in question. Starting in 2000, the records become digitized and can be accessed right here. The records stored on microfiche list information prior to 2000. These films were a great starting point to finding valuable information such as the date built, architect, building details, and other vital information. The occupancy permits can also be used to build an occupant and ownership timeline. Building permits help to decipher the alterations to the building since it was completed. We were even able to uncover a legal battle that took place over a condemned building.
City Records Office (841 N Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202) – We went to the office of city records to obtain historical plans of the house. We were not lucky enough to have multiple sets of plans, but we found that information found here could be used to track historical changes made to the property.
Historical Photos (MKE downtown library & Milwaukee County Historical Society ) – At both locations, we asked for the folder of images from the street on which a home was located. It is essential to take your time and look through all the photos because they are only organized by street. This process is very taxing, but finding even one gem of a historical photo is an extremely rewarding experience. We found an awesome picture of Lisbon Avenue with a rail line down the middle of the street and pedestrians all around.
City Register (MKE downtown library & UWM Library) – Starting in the year 1923, city records were compiled by owner's name and property address. These records show who resided at an address at the time of survey. These records also oftentimes include additional information such as occupation and ownership status. One thing to keep in mind is that in 1930 the City of Milwaukee changed its numbering system for street addresses. There is a book that can be used to convert the current address to its older form. Using the city register we were able to trace the history of the Schaefer family from 1904 when they lived on Vine Street until 1965 when they moved to Lisbon Avenue.
Ancestry.com & Manuscript Census (MKE Downtown Library) – Having already discovered the names of previous inhabitants of the house we used ancestry.com (there is a free subscription at the Milwaukee Public Library) to gather vital information such as family history, occupation, languages spoken, and other key pieces of information. If we had not already found names then we could have searched addresses through the manuscript census. The data is the same both ways because ancestry.com uses manuscript census data. The two options just provide different means to the same end. As a result of my ancestry.com search we uncovered even more details about the Schaefer family such as the fact that Joseph L Schaefer, the father of Joseph J Schaefer of Lisbon Avenue, emigrated from Germany in 1892.
Tax Records (MKE Downtown Library) – The librarians in the humanities room are very helpful and assisted in finding the tax records for the property. It is a rather complicated process involving finding the tax key and other information so that you can find the property on a microfilm roll. The tax records can be used to determine ownership status of a house over time, to determine when a house was built and to assist in an ownership timeline.

Analysis- Once the research and the information gathering was complete, it was time to move on to analyzing the data that had been gathered. This took many different forms.

Materials- The material analysis told a significant amount about the history of the house and the time it was built. For example, a home that is built from concrete block often coincides with the changing values of the time –– a more efficient, cost effective building process, compared to a timber frame house that is more labor and cost intensive.
Context- The contextual analysis unlocked a significant amount about the history of the area. For example, after looking more deeply into the surrounding area it was concluded that the mixed-use building type that was seen in the area exemplified the values of the time of hard work and diligence to a task.
House form and layout - Changes in house layout suggested how users used, demarcated and delineated their home interior in order to accommodate changing family size, needs, socio-cultural values and symbolic considerations.

3328 Lisbon Permit Diagram

Historical Lisbon Ave From Historical Society Archives

Elise Schaefer 1940 Manuscript Census

Joseph J Schaefer 1920 Manuscript Census