Researching Real Estate

Resources at the Fredericksburg Circuit Court Clerks Office and

Circuit Court Archives

Researching Real Estate

Basic research—what are we trying to accomplish in documentation of properties?

Completing the picture, what information will more completely provide support to our interpretation?

Towns grow, court of record changes

Transferring Ownership

Deeds

Inheritance

Marriage

Court Orders

Transfer by Deed• Bargain and Sale

• Gift

• Estate distribution

• Assignment

Resources

• Deeds at courthouse

• Original deeds at archives

Transfer by Inheritance• Devise (bequest) - no deed required• Intestate estate division

– heir(s) at law - no deed(s) required– court order for fiduciary

Resources• Estate records at courthouse

• Court records at archives– Most recent indices at courthouse– Older indices at archives and online

Transfer by Marriage

• no deed required

Resources

• post 1953 records at courthouse• pre 1953 records at archives (online index)

Transfer by Court Order

• Estate dispute / court supervised settlement

• Divorce

• Creditors’ claim settlement

Resources• Court records at archives

– Most recent record indices at courthouse– Older record indices at archives and online

Property description

Right to sell

Chain of Title

Land Tax Records• taxpayer

• tenant

• building / lot values

Resources

• Post 1996 records at courthouse– Most recent records on computer

• Earlier at archives (and UMW website)

• VamaNet and Fredericksburg GIS

Land Book

Divided into White and Colored in 1891

Land Tax Record Caution

• tax payer listed – not necessarily property owner

• pay attention to property legal description

Completing the Picture

The People: Who were they? Contributions to the community?

The Structure(s): When built / changed? – How? Contractor?

The Structure(s)• Courthouse / archives resources:

– Deeds– Land Tax Records– Court Records

Other resources:

Sanborn maps

Mutual Assurance policies

Newspapers

Sanborn Maps

All published Sanborn Maps are found under Sanborn Maps in the digital databases of the Simpson Library

Fire Insurance Policies

Mutual Assurance Society of Virginia 1796-1965.

The People• Courthouse / archives resources:

– Deeds

– Estate Records

– Land Tax Records

– Court Records

Other resources: City Directories Newspapers Census

Questions?

Structure Info in Deed Boilerplate

• Improvements– Valuable addition made to property

• Messuage– Dwelling house with the adjacent buildings

and curtilage

• Appurtenance– An outhouse, barn, garden or orchard to a

house or messuage

Resource

Black’s Law DictionaryReturn

Year Name Lot Street Improvements

1891 Donahoe, A. B. pt 18 Caroline St . New building. Old one removed

1892 Eastburn & Cole pt 126 Prince Edward St. building burnt – shop built

1894 Beckwith, Franklin pt 130 William St. addition to building

Land Tax Records – Sample Entries

Return

http://www.historiccourtrecords.org

lot 147 (with dilapidated frame house in

1857 - sold at auction to William F.

Thompson), lot 148, & part of lot 104 –

property of Robert Baylor Semple Sr. 

Citation:

Record title: Semple vs Semple 

Year recorded: 1857 

Collection: CR-CI-H 

Record ID: 247-7 

Return

Brick store house dwelling, parts of lot 17 & lot 18 on opposite the Post Office - formerly used by the Adams Express Co. - part of S. Willis Howard estate 

Citation:Record title: Howard vs Howard et als Year recorded: 1909 Collection: CR-HU-H Record ID: 149-11

Return

sale bill for the sale of a brick dwelling house and lot on Main St. opposite the brick house of Charles E. Hunter – property occupied by E.C. Rowe - house two and a half stories high with slate roof - 5 rooms with cellar and garret – the property hasan excellent brick kitchen upon it and other outbuildings - 26 Apr. 1889 

Citation:Record title: James E. Stone vs John Haydon, adr. of Roberta A. Thornton Year recorded: 1889 Collection: CR-CI-H Record ID: 244-7 

Return