Classes are for students 18+ unless otherwise noted.
Fees are for one adult and one child unless otherwise noted. Please register under adult’s name.
Classes for high school students
Your house tells a story. Its age and architectural style, its place in the community, and the lives of the people who have lived there all contribute to this history. Get an introduction to the methods and sources of researching your home’s history. We’ll look at property deeds and historical atlases, town directories, and annual reports. See how probate records and census listings reveal the families who lived in your house and in your neighborhood. Begin compiling research after the first class and share what you’ve uncovered in the second. Leave with ideas for next steps to finish your house’s story.
Please note: Bring the address of a property you wish to investigate or choose one from the instructor’s list of examples. Most of our resources will be Arlington-specific, but the research techniques are applicable broadly.
Michael Ruderman writes and lectures on topics in colonial and nineteenth-century history. He served for a decade on the Arlington Historical Commission and was its principal researcher.
Michael Ruderman
