The BVHS receives many inquiries about genealogy, family stories and how to contact others about these subjects. The Society wants to act as a facilitator for people to connect with one another. Post here to ask questions, share a story or a photo. Who knows you may uncover something special!
Hi,
Just moved to 36 rawson rd, in Cumberland RI. It’s built in 1890. Really interested in finding out previous owners, history of the area, etc. Please let me know where I should go to find the best information.
Thanks,
Brittany
I checked with Mr. Klyberg. The deed records in the Town Hall is one source. One has to go backwards to the record created when a person buys the property. The grantee is the person buying; the grantor is the sellor. Using the dates of prior purchases you can work your way back to the age of the house. If you go back far enough you get back to when it was just a piece of unimproved land.
You really never get to know the date of when the house was built unless you also trace the land records to the town tax book. All of this tells you some information: who lived in the house and when. If the house has any architectural importance you can go to the Historic Preservation Commission’s report for each town. They don’t inventory every house, but the architecturally or historically important ones are usually singled out. If there was someone of importance or prominence who lived there you can try finding them in Bayles two-volume history of Providence County. In the history of each of the county’s towns there is a biographical section dealing with the leading personalities.
You can also find some information about Cumberland’s history in the public library. The Cumberland Parks and Recreation department created a historical scavenger hunt in Cumberland this past spring. They might also be a source for you for local history in Cumberland.