Researching Your Historic House

Researching Your Historic Home Presentation
Posted on 11/01/2018
Curious to find out who built a historic house? When was the home built? Who lived in it? 

Owners of historic houses will get expert advice about researching their properties during an upcoming workshop presented by the Monroe Historic District Commission to take place Wednesday, November 14th, 6:00 PM, Monroe City Hall, 120 E. First Street - third floor conference room.

With the help of online resources and public records, much can be learned about the history of any property. Learn how to answer these questions and more at a special evening workshop detailing methods used in researching and identifying historic structures with guidance from professional architectural historians Jeffrey Green and Dr. Ted Ligibel.

Attendees will learn about primary resources, such as historic maps, newspapers and directories, as well as how deeds, photographs, and public records can help unravel your home's history. Additionally, architectural genres will be discussed including how to identify historic house styles common to Monroe and the region. You'll also learn tips on how to "read" your home through observation to distinguish its original style and how it may have evolved over time.

No reservations required, but seating is limited.

Learn more about the City of Monroe Historic District Commission here.

Ted J Ligibel, Ph.D., served as director of Eastern Michigan University's graduate Historic Preservation program from 1999 to 2018. Ligibel is Advisor Emeritus to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Michigan Historic Preservation Network, and served as Chair of the National Council for Preservation Education. He is the immediate past chair of the Governor’s Michigan Historic Preservation Review Board. He participated in several advising sessions for US Presidential administrations (Clinton and Bush), including meeting with the Secretary of the Interior concerning the significance of River Raisin Battlefield, now a National Battlefield. He has authored numerous works on historic preservation including most recently co-authoring the nation's best-selling textbook on historic preservation, Historic Preservation: An Introduction to Its History, Principles, and Practice (3rd Ed, 2018).

Jeffrey Green is the Director of the Community Development Department and the City of Monroe’s Historic Preservation Officer and City Planner. With over 25 years at the City, he has been involved in many key efforts aimed at preserving and protecting its heritage resources. In addition to his work with the city, Jeff is an adjunct professor in the Historic Preservation Graduate Program at Eastern Michigan University. He is also a nationally certified planner and a federally certified historian and architectural historian.