Ever wonder about the history of your house? Here's how to find out, from the comfort of your computer.
Generally, you will search backwards from the present.
The PGAtlas will show you the current owner, address, lot number, tax ID number, and usually the original subdivision name and section. The identification box will also generally give the date of latest transaction and deed identification information: liber (book) and page. Make a note of the deed identification information and date. In many cases you can click on the linked tax ID number to see the plat history. You will not be able to use the links there to see the plats themselves; for that, use plats.net. Note that the PGAtlas has some errors.
The Maryland Real Property Search site will give you the date the house was built and the past few owners back to the 1970s. Use the tax ID number or street address to find this information.
Using MDLandRec.net you can see scanned deeds, mortgages, and easements affecting your property all the way back to the beginning of property recording in Maryland. You will need to sign up to use the database, but it is free. There is a search feature for deeds from 1950 to the present. You can search by individual or corporation name. Deeds for 1950 and 1951 are on the database, but the links do not work. There is a workaround: jot down the book and page information and enter it from the home page. For earlier deeds from 1696 to 1994, use the scans of the original ledger indices. For even earlier deeds, look in Charles County.
Beginning with the present owner (yourself), follow the deeds back in time. For most years you will find a line in the deed, “being the same land recorded in book xxx page xxx on (date).” You enter this information in the upper right-hand corner of the web page to get to the next deed you need. (If this feature does not work, do a new search with that information.) For periods where the previous deed citation is not given you will have to do a new index search with the name of the purchaser (grantee) or seller (grantor).
Plats.net provides digital images of land survey, subdivision, and condominium plats. You will need to register to use this free database as well. The same site has State Highway Administration right of way plats, and County and State Highway plats.
You can search digitized historical newspaper databases for your address. The Washington Post is on the ProQuest historical newspapers database. You can use it at a Prince George’s County library (but the computers are in great demand) or at the Library of Congress.
If through your search you find the name of the owner in 1920 or 1930, you can find more about him or her on census schedules. The 1930 census schedules for Cheverly are on the Cheverly History web site. You can also search Heritage Quest, available to you at home with your Prince George’s County library card.
Happy house hunting!