Historic Home Research

Researching The History of A Home

The Marathon County Historical Library serves as a great starting point when researching a home's history. Below is a summary of some of the information we have available:

Wausau City Directories

The library maintains directories from 1883 to present. Most of these directories contain a section organized by street which allows researchers to easily create a list of owners through the years. Using the aphabetical section, the researcher can then locate the owners to determine their occupation and other important information.

Sanborn Maps

Sanborn fire insurance maps are large scale city planning maps. The maps list street blocks and building numbers. All existing buildings are shown on the maps. Our library contains several of these maps. They can be very helpful in researching the history of a home or building.

Research Files

Over the years, the library has researched and collected information on several historic homes and buildings in Marathon County. Files are kept on these homes listing important names and dates, including newspaper clippings, articles, photographs, etc.

Wausau's 1984 Intensive Survey

Our library maintains detailed information sheets on all of the properties surveyed during the 1984 Intensive Survey. The information collected includes the date of construction, original owner, type of structure, list of resources, etc.
 

Also See

Research a Historic Property, National Register of Historic Places
A General Guide to Sources. This page will provide you with a list of possible sources for researching your home. The entire site is dedicated to outlining and explaining the research and historic background that is requested before a property can become listed on the National Register of Hisoric Places.

Additional Links

Historic Home Owner's Tax Credits