Researching Your House (and more!)

Updated 9/22/2021

Where to Begin

1. Tax Assessor’s Website – Parcel ID Number & Sales

History

Begin your research at the DeKalb County Tax Assessor’s office or website. Online information

includes sales and parcel ID numbers.

https://taxcommissioner.dekalbcountyga.gov/TaxCommissioner/TCSearch.asp

City of Decatur homes, look here- https://www.decaturgatax.com/taxes/#/WildfireSearch

A parcel ID is made up of several numbers and knowing what they represent may be helpful to

you. For example, parcel ID number 12 123 12 123 provides much information.

• The first number, 12 in this case, is the land district.

• The second number is the land lot. In the 1821 Georgia Land lottery, which covered

this area, land lots were surveyed and distributed in lots of about 200 acres.

• The third number of your Parcel ID is the block number. Blocks are designated by

the Tax Assessor’s office and in theory, are a continuous area of land not interrupted

by a street. They were created starting with number one and just go from there.

• The fourth number of your ID is your lot number.

The tax assessor’s information includes a sales history which may have sales dates, deed types

and sometimes even the sale prices. You will also find the Deed Book/Page Number for each

sale. Online information goes back to 1978. For years prior to 1978, you can use Deed Books

located at the “new” DeKalb County Courthouse Real Estate Records Room. DeKalb County

Courthouse, 556 N. McDonough Street, Decatur GA 30030

In some cases a plat number will be recorded. On the Tax Assessor’s website, there is a tab to

click on for “Property Tax Data” at the bottom of the “Property Overview” screen. On the left

under Deed Information, you will see Plat Book/Page. If your address has this information, you

might find a plat at the DeKalb County Courthouse on McDonough Street.

Updated 9/22/2021

2. Deed Books and Plat Maps – DeKalb County

Courthouse

http://www.dksuperiorclerk.com/real-estate/

You will find indexes to the deed books, which are divided by Grantee (buyer) and Grantor

(seller). Any single sale of a house will have listings in both indexes. The Grantor Indexes are

black and the Grantee Indexes are red. The indexes prior to 1947 are located under a counter

towards the rear of the room. The indexes from 1947 to 2000 are located on top of the counter.

Indexes from 2000 to the present are computerized and accessible in this room. And the deed

books are located throughout the room. Once you have the basic layout, everything should be in

chronological order. The first index includes deeds from 1822 to 1910, however, deed books A –

K are missing due to the courthouse fire and the first deed book available is Volume L which

begins in 1846. Copies are available for a fee.

Use the lot, block, book and page numbers associated with deeds to make sure you are on the

right track. In the history of your house these sets of names can be very helpful. Start with

the most recent sale and work your way backwards though the deeds. For instance,

if you begin with the current owner of a house in the Grantee Index, you can continue though

that index by always looking up who bought the property. You do not need to look at every

deed, but the earliest ones might have interesting information.

Plat books can be found under a counter in the rear of the Real Estate Records room. Plat maps

show divisions between properties but usually do not show the footprint of the house. You may

find that your house is in a subdivision that has a recorded plat number associated with it, and

you may be able to trace back the acquisition and plans of the original developer. The DeKalb

History Center (DHC) has records on some houses/subdivisions/communities, which could

be a further source of information.

DHC has many collections, but remember that you must seek assistance in navigating around

them, so please make an appointment! You can either call the Archivist at DHC at 404-373-

1088, extension 1005, or email blomqvist@dekalbhistory.org to make an appointment. Our

Archives are located in the historic DeKalb County Courthouse in downtown Decatur at 101 E.

Court Square, Decatur GA 30030.

Please be aware that all of the questions you have about your house may not be answered.

Finding your home’s architect can be a difficult task and may not be possible. Many houses

built since the 20

century were catalog houses such as the kit homes sold by Sears or other

companies like Aladdin, Sterling and Radford. Or your house may come from the many plan

books which were available to builders.

3. City Directories at DHC

You can search for names you have gotten from sale records, deeds and tax information in the

City Directories held by the DHC. With just one name, you can find addresses, spouses and

sometimes even what a person did for a living. You can also look up a street address and find

names of people living there.

DHC has city directories from 1887 to 1990 (with some gaps in the collection); they were usually

published every year. DeKalb County had its own directory in 1939. It was only done for that

one year, but it has areas not covered in the Atlanta directory. We also have Suburban

Updated 9/22/2021

Directories beginning in 1956 which cover parts of DeKalb. The areas covered may vary by year.

The Atlanta Public Library also has copies of city directories and the Decatur Library has them

on microfilm. Keep in mind that you may not find your house listed; it must have been within

city limits at that time, to be included. Note: Atlanta and the metro area renumbered houses in

1892 and 1926.

4. Map Collection at DHC

The DHC has a wonderful map collection where you may be able to find maps of your area

before it was developed or even maps made during the Civil War. While it is unlikely you will

find a map with your individual house, the DHC Special Collections may have information on

your neighborhood or community.

There is a map inventory that the archivist will use to help you navigate our collection. We have

various plat and subdivision maps from different time periods, and two topographic map

collections from 1928 which show the locations of some houses in DeKalb County. We also have

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps and the 1915 Maynard Carter Simmons Map book which shows

property owners. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps are also available now online.

https://research.library.gsu.edu/c.php?g=115461&p=755495

5. Special Collections at DHC

Using the first two numbers of your parcel ID from the Tax Assessor’s office, you can check for

resources in the title abstracts in the archives. Law offices in the area donated many files

collected while doing legal work for clients; perhaps someone conducted a title exam on your

property. All of the paperwork was done by the legal staff and these files are wonderful sources

of information. Most of these papers are from the 1910s and 1920s. If you have an older house,

you may find quite a bit amongst these donations. (Note: The Atlanta History Center also has

title abstracts from various companies.) Names collected in your research may yield even more

information. Again, it is hit or miss, as records from an office handling your area may simply

not be a part of the DHC collection….yet. We have other great resources, including:

• Biographical files – The amount of information in these files is variable

• Maps – A large variety of DeKalb County maps are available, including Sanborn maps

• Oral History – DVDs of interviews with DeKalb residents and others, beginning in 1985

• Photographs – Including: individuals, military, government, organizations and schools

• Special Collections - Court records, personal papers, school documents, scrapbooks, post

office records and more

• Subject files – Clippings, articles, and primary materials from diverse places such as

churches, clubs, schools, and businesses

DHC has a detailed website with information about our map collections, photographs, special

collections and oral histories. Go to http://www.dekalbhistory.org

Before you schedule a visit to the Archives, look under the Research & Archives section of the

website for a partial listing of our holdings. This section is at the top of our webpage.

Updated 9/22/2021

6. Internet resources

Ancestry.com

http://www.ancestry.com

This website, which is a paid subscription, is available free at the DHC and also at the Decatur Public Library and the

Georgia Archives. You may find biographical information on your home owners via the US Census, military, and

immigration records and other resources.

Atlanta Historic Newspapers Archive

http://atlnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/atlnewspapers/search

The Atlanta Historic Newspapers Archive provides online access to fourteen newspaper titles published in Atlanta

from 1847 to 1922. Consisting of over 67,000 newspaper pages, the archive provides historical images that are both

full-text searchable and can be browsed by date

Atlanta History Center

130 West Paces Ferry Road

Atlanta,30305

404-814-4040

Email: reference@atlantahistorycenter.com

http://www.atlantahistorycenter.com

The AHC’s Kenan Research Center has an online resource called Terminus that may be useful.

The Research Center has many archival resources including the largest collection of architectural plans for the metro

area and building permits for properties within the city limits of Atlanta. They also have a large genealogy library.

Atlanta-Fulton Central Public Library

One Margaret Mitchell Square

Atlanta, GA 30303

404-730-1900

Email: referencel[email protected]

http://www.afpls.org/home

The Atlanta-Fulton Central Public Library has a wealth of Atlanta materials and is well worth a visit. Do not forget

other local public libraries when looking for information.

A library may use Library of Congress classification, or they may use the Dewey Decimal System. When browsing

books at the library, books on researching houses have numbers beginning with E159. Dewey numbers in the 900s

include Geography and History. Having these numbers with you will get you the materials you need faster.

DeKalb County Public Library (Decatur Library)

Main Decatur Branch

215 Sycamore Street

Decatur, Georgia 30030

404-370-3070

https://dekalblibrary.org/

https://dekalblibrary.org/research/subject-guides/genealogy

The Georgia History Collection is on the third floor. There are also many genealogy resources.

In the reference area on the second floor, you will find these resources on microfilm or microfiche. You will need to

get a lens from the reference desk in order to use the viewer.

• Atlanta City Directories beginning with 1902

• Atlanta Constitution index from 1925 - 1954

• Atlanta Journal index from 1944 - 1979

• Various DeKalb County newspapers from 1885 on

Updated 9/22/2021

• Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, for the entire state

• DeKalb New Era from 1885—1998

Georgia Archives

You can view issues of The Atlanta Constitution from 1868 to 1984 in person at the Georgia Archives, Morrow GA.

You can also conduct research online or in person.

https://www.georgiaarchives.org/research

Georgia Department of Revenue

https://dor.georgia.gov/

The website has information on other Georgia counties with online tax information and links in case you want to

venture out of DeKalb County. Go to individual taxes and then property taxes for available information.

Georgia Historic Preservation Division (SHPO)

http://georgiashpo.org/

To look at materials in person, you must have an appointment. Contact HPDs National Register Specialist

for more information. Before you call, click on the National Register & Survey tab at the top and then Research &

Documentation for many answers to your questions, including a link for research files available there.

Georgia Statewide Deed Index

http://www.gsccca.org/search/

Available resources include lien & plat indexes and deeds.

Georgia State University Library

http://www.library.gsu.edu/

The Special Collections department has many documents and photos for the Atlanta area.

GNAHRGIS

https://www.gnahrgis.org/gnahrgis/index.do

GNAHRGIS is an interactive Web registry and geographical information system designed to catalog information

about the natural, archaeological, and historic resources of Georgia. Historic resources include buildings, structures,

historic sites, landscapes and districts.

National Register of Historic Places

http://www.nps.gov/nr/research/

If your home is located on the National Register of Historic Places or within a National Register district this Park Service site

may provide invaluable information.

Newspapers.com

This pay service features most newspapers.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps

http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/sanborn/

https://research.library.gsu.edu/c.php?g=115461&p=755495

The Sanborn Company began making maps for insurance purposes in the 1860s. There are many available for cities

in Georgia. Maps from 1884-1922 are on this site. The Decatur Library has Georgia Sanborn Maps on microfilm.

Because they were working documents, some copies of Sanborn Maps were updated by hand with company

employees pasting overlays directly into later versions. If using these copies in person, information gathered may be

less clear the information found in a “clean” copy.