Researching Your Riverton Home A Presentation for the Historical Society of Riverton February 23, 2016 Research by Patricia Smith Solin PowerPoint Layout by John McCormick
Outline Purpose of Presentation Brief Early History of Riverton Suggested Protocol How to Apply for a HSR Plaque
Purpose of Presentation To introduce basic researching techniques and local resources that can help reveal the history and ancestors of their Riverton home.
Brief Early History of Riverton Detail of
Early Historic Dates Established in 1851 with summer mansions for the founders, and others, built along Bank Ave. and Main St.. Farmland surrounds much of the town See the Porch Club s 1851-1865: Few stores, no post office. Summer homes and rooming houses were built for part time residents. 1852: Riverton Improvement Co. established 1855: First church built Civil War 1861 to 1865 1865-1880: 1868: Builder, Joel Grant of Riverton got the bid to build the town hall in Cinnaminson 1871: First US Post Office 1873: Dreer s Nursery 1875: Lippincott Ave. surveyed for development First addition to the village 1880-1910: 1880: oil streetlamps installed 1886: The Lyceum 1890: Riverton Free Library, Porch Club, Fire Company 1892: First public sewage system initiated on Main St. 1893: Riverton withdraws from Cinnaminson Twp. to become a municipality 1894: Riverton elects first mayor 1900: Street names and house numbers standardized; Riverton Country Club 1907: Cinnaminson Bank & Trust 1908: First Welsbach gas streetlamp 1910: First brick school building ~1910: Development extends to land on other side of the railroad track, and widens throughout town
Suggested Protocol Start with the Deed to Your Property.
Deeds Definition: a legal document that is signed and delivered, especially one regarding the ownership of property or legal rights. See also title deed. Oxford Dictionary of English, 2010 Do you already have access to the deed of the property? You can trace ownership for a limited number of previous owners through the deed.
What Information Do I Need? Names of the Grantors, or giving up property Names of the Grantees, or those receiving property Date of the Deed Sale Price Property lines can change from owner-toowner, so documenting that information can important, too. Instrument number (if available) Date Deed is registered(most likely different from the date of sale) Book/Page Block/Lot More than a few Riverton homes have been moved to new locations, creating a special challenge for the researcher
No Deed? Use the searchable, online database at the Burlington County (PRESS)
Sample Search Result
Searching Further Back Exhausted the PRESS online site? Go to the old, original deed books! Burlington County Clerk s Office County Government Office 49 Rancocas/Mt. Holly Rd. Mt. Holly, NJ 08060 Note: Visitors can only access the Deed Office and Deed Archives by entering the new front entrance on 49 Rancocas/Mt. Holly Road (photo at left) and successfully passing through Security. You will need to park across the street in the lot. Some lots have a two-hour limit, so take care where you park.
Finding Your House s Roots Architectural Style Maps United States Census Historic Newspapers & Other Resources
Architectural Style Italianate House Details What style is your home? Victorian, Italianate, Gothic Revival, Stick Style, Second Empire, Colonial, or another one? Make a list of its qualities and unique characteristics. Image thanks to Queen Anne House Features
More Resources See if your home is listed in Bill Find hundreds of Washington s book: structures listed in Historic Riverton: Notable Architecture, Riverton s 1999 National People and Events, 1776-1930 Register for Historic available at the Library or Places Registration Form for sale by the Society
Details of Two Early Maps 1859 1860 New Map of Burlington County: Parry, Sykes and Earl. R. K. Kuhn & J. D. Janney, Publishers, 1859 Detail of Map of Vicinity Philadelphia 1860. Stone & Pomeroy, Philadelphia. 1860
Gold Standard 1890 Bird s Eye View
Sanborn Insurance Maps Among the oldest of the fire insurance mapping companies in the US, the Sanborn Insurance company, created over a million maps of US cities and towns from 1867-1970. archive of online maps for Riverton include: 1895, 1896, 1900, 1905, 1911, 1919
1895 Sanborn Map
1896 Sanborn Map Detail 1896 Sheet 2/2 1983
1900 Sanborn Map Detail 1900 Sheet 4/4 1991
1919 Sanborn Map Detail 1919 Sheet 6/14 X 2013 Dr. Alexander Marcy, Jr. & Mary Ann Mecray Marcy Home & Physician s Office 1868
1900 Sanborn Map Detail 1900 Sheet 3/4
1911 Sanborn Map Detail 1911 Sheet 3/13
United States Census
Historic Newspapers 1912- New Era 1921-New Era
Two More Sources 1926 The Romance of Riverton 1929 Manning s Riverton Classified Business Directory has a selection of business directories at the Corson Poley Center 454 Lawrence St. Burlington, NJ.
Resources Maps Slide 4 - Otley & Whiteford Map of Burlington County, 1849. West Jersey History Project Slide References Slides 4 & 26 -- National Register for Historic Places. Riverton, NJ. Slide 5 Plan of the New Town of Riverton N.J.; Beautifully situated on the River Delaware, Eight miles above Philad.. Undated (early) lithography plan, c. 1851. Can be viewed at the Porch Club, or online at: Slide 15 -- New Map of Burlington County: from Actual Surveys & Official Records. Parry, Skyes and Earl. 1859. Slide 15 Map of Vicinity of Philadelphia. Published by Stone & Pomeroy, Philadelphia, 1860. Slide 16 -- Riverton, 1890 HSR website. Copies also available for purchase from the Riverton Free Library. Slides 9 & 10 -- Burlington County Public Records Electronic Search System (PRESS) Slide 24 -- Ancestry. > & Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints: FamilySearch. Familysearch.org < > Slide 25 The Historical Society of Riverton. Gaslight News: Historical Newspapers. Slide 26 -- The Romance of Riverton: An Edwin Cooper Production for Riverton s Chamber of Commerce, 1926. A 43-Minute Videotape Made From the Original Film. The Historical Society of Riverton. Commentary notes researched and written by Betty B. Hahle, 1990.
Resources Burlington County Clerk s Office, Index to Building Contracts, c.1841-c.1931. 1 volume. New Jersey State Archives, Trenton, New Jersey. Burlington County Inventory and Survey of Historic Architectural and Cultural Resources. Prepared for Burlington County Cultural and Heritage Commission. 1975-1977, vol. 4 Griscom, Lloyd E. Tales of Three Towns: Cinnaminson, Palmyra & Riverton. S.l. s.n, c.1981. How to Research the History of a House. Trenton, NJ: NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry, Bureau of Parks, Office of Historic Preservation, (1977). Lybeck, Carl. How to Research Your Property. Burlington Watchman. 2:1, January 1990, p. 1. Schopp, Paul W., Riverton Borough Historian Structure and Ornament: A Guide to Architectural Styles in Burlington County, New Jersey, 1700-1900. Text by Keith W. Betten. Artwork by Mildred Engle. Mt. Holly, NJ: The Burlington County Cultural and Heritage Commission, 1979. Vogel, Charity. How to Research Your Home s Past. Old House Journal.com.
HSR Plaque Once you have completed the research on your home, you can submit an application to the HSR Board. Contact Bill Brown or Bill McDermott for further information.
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