Speaker to discuss researching historical homes

Did you know your old house has secrets?

Should you look on the walls in the attic? Search behind old cabinets and boxes in the basement? Look under the kitchen drawers for secret envelopes? Well, it does have a story to tell.

How old is it? Over 100 years old? There’s a reasonable chance it may be since there likely are hundreds of century-old houses (built before 1923) in Isabella County alone.

Who built your house? How many owners has it had? What building design is it? Is it historic or just historical? How can I find out?

You can learn how to become a history detective in one mini workshop Sept. 5 at the Isabella County Historical Society meeting in room 124 at Rowe Hall on the campus of Central Michigan University.

The topic will be researching your home and the speaker will be Bob Myers, the director of history programming for the Historical Society of Michigan.

Myers oversees many of the Society’s educational programs, including history skills workshops, the History Hounds lecture series and Michiganders on the Road motorcoach tours. He has authored numerous books and his articles have appeared in Michigan History Magazine, Chronicle, and Michigan Historical Review.

He has a BA in history from Alma College and an MA in history from Western Michigan University. Heand his wife live in Grand Ledge, where they are restoring their Colonial Revival home.

He will discuss the Society’s research guidelines so you can follow the trail of clues to progressively narrow down the answers to your home’s secrets, such as:

*Materials used to build it*Its architectural style*The chain of title*Historical records that may reveal if it is part of an original plat, if there was additional construction, old photos, and even the stories of the families who called it home. As a bonus, if you can prove the year it was constructed and the original owner, your house may qualify for recognition as a Michigan Heritage Home.The presentation is at 7 pm at the CMU Museum and is free.

Parking is available in Lot 14 on the south side of the building.