Researching Your Home

Previous Owners

While the Local History collection does include photographs, it is more equipped to help you learn about previous owners of your home. You can discover previous owners primarily in two places:

1. City directories: These are in the library and are available during Local History Hours.

2. Middlesex South Registry of Deeds: You can search their online records by address to discover previous owners.

Once you have compiled a list of former owners, head over to the newspaper index [link this] and search for them. They will be indexed by their last name. If the property you are researching is or was ever a business site, you could search for the business name in the index, too.

More Online Resources

The Massachusetts Historical Commission has a database called Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System has information about historic Malden homes and buildings.

Malden's Inspectional Services has a database that allows you to see permits or inspections done on your home. Note their search instructions before beginning.

Atlascope is a collection of maps that can be overlaid one another. This resource is provided by Boston Public Library's Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center. 

Land Court Division of Massachusetts Trial Court's website allows you to search public surveying records.