Become an Architecture and History Detective!

Helpful Resources   McHenry Museum and Historical Society Modesto Landmark Preservation Commission Modesto Architecture Flickr Group (Modesto Art Museum hosted) Article on Architectural Styles of Houses How to Research the History of Your House

Research Guide for Uncovering Your Architectural Heritage in Modesto

1. Start a journal noting everything you know about your house or building including a detailed description.

2. Explore the Modesto Architecture Database to see if your building or house is listed. Be sure to check the original manuscripts in the Special Collections room of the downtown library for additional information. Are other buildings from your area included in the database? What can you learn from their entries?

3. Determine your building's architectural style. This will help you determine when your building was constructed.

4. Search through the documentation you already have, especially deeds, to find important clues.

5. Use the Modesto city directories in the main library to determine who lived in or used your house or building over the years. Sometimes you can determine when it was built by when it first appears in the directory.

6. Read Stanislaus Stepping Stones, the quarterly journal of the McHenry Museum and Historical Society. See especially the issue for summer 2009. It has details on house architecture in Modesto. Back issues are available in the McHenry Museum and in the public library.

7. Determine the parcel number of your lot, then look up information about your parcel on the Stanislaus County Assessor web site. Usually the parcel number appears on your tax bill. You can also find it in the map books found online at the assessor site.

8. Start a house or building genealogy, trace the ownership of your house or building and the land it sits on as far back as possible. The earliest land patents in the Modesto area are mostly from the 1860s and can be found at the Bureau of Land Management. You will need to know your township and range to find the patent that covers your lot. Additional records can be found on microfilm at the Stanislaus County Recorder at 1021 I Street.