The Moorestown Library can help you research your house or any other type of building using a variety of local resources.
This guide materials available at the Moorestown Library as well as other sources, both in print and online. By following the steps and using the tools provided, you’ll be able to uncover key facts and histories related to your home and property.
Call the Adult Services Department at 856-234-0333 ext. 4012 or email adult@moorestownlibrary.org to ask for assistance or schedule a one-on-one session for personalized guidance.
- Address of the house
- Approximate year built (if known)
- Names of previous owners (if available)
- National Historic District – the center of town has been a registered historic district since 1990. The National Register of Historic Places Registration Report lists all of the homes included in the district along with notes about previous residents and architectural styles. The report is available to read in the NJ Room or online though the National Archives.
- House Plaques – the Historical Society of Moorestown offers house plaques to identify historic homes that are more than 100 years old. If your house has a plaque, there’s already been significant research done. A list of all homes in Moorestown with plaques is available on the Historical Society’s website.
A deed search can be the easiest way to find your house’s age and past owners. It shows the history of ownership and details about the property. Start with the current owner and work backwards. If the property changed hands through inheritances, sheriff’s sales, etc., you might also need to look at related records, like liens, court judgments, or wills.
- Search the Burlington County Clerk’s Office online records portal
- Records prior to 1785 are available at the NJ State Archives and searchable on their website
Town directories
City and telephone directories allow you to look for individuals, families, or businesses to view such details as: addresses, occupations, and household residents.
The library has directories in print and online back to 1876.
Census records
Census records from 1950 and earlier include the names and age of all residents in the household, even the children and boarders. Later years added occupation, relationship, birthplace, assets, literacy and disabilities.
The library has the following census records in print:
- The 1850 census together with index Atlantic, Burlington, and Bergen Counties, New Jersey : including the 1840 list of Revolutionary and military pensioners residing in those counties. (Gen 317.49 Tan)
- Revolutionary census of New Jersey; an index, based on ratables, of the inhabitants of New Jersey during the period of the American Revolution (NJ 929.3749 Stryker-Rodda)
Library card holders can also access the 1790-1950 census online using HeritageQuest
Local Histories
Books about Moorestown’s development, architecture, and notable residents may mention your home or its builders. Local histories also include photos or drawings and sometimes discuss the construction of particular buildings or houses.
Maps
Find the property on historic maps. These maps may reveal many details depending on their purpose such as boundaries and property owners. The library has a variety of land use, street, election, and tax maps dating back to the 1870’s.
Sanborn maps are large-scale plans detailing building outlines, size, shape, construction, and features like doors and windows. They also show street names, widths, property boundaries, building use, and house or block numbers (past and present). Construction details and materials are noted through text and shading. The library has the 1911 and 1917 maps of Moorestown. Additional years are available online through the Library of Congress.
Newspapers
Historic newspapers are a great resource for finding out what your house or property might have been used for in the past. You may find obituaries, party announcements, classified ads, and news stories that give you glimpses into the people and activities that were in your home.
Search the library’s local newspaper archive.
Photographs
Search the library’s digital collection by name or address to find photos of your house, neighborhood, or former residents.
Visit the Moorestown Historical Society
In addition to research done for the plaque program, the Historical Society Library includes photos,maps, city directories as well as pamphlet files on Moorestown buildings, homes, and families that may be of use in your research.
How to Research the History of a House
From the NJ Historic Preservation Office
Glossary of Archival Terms
From the National Archives
Books available in the library:
Architecture in New Jersey, a record of American civilization (N.J. 974.9 New v.6)
Early houses of Burlington County by Nathaniel R Ewan (N.J. 917.49 Ewan)
A Field Guide to American Houses by Virginia & Lee McAlester (728 McA)
Historic American Buildings Survey of New Jersey (N.J. 016.7209749 Historic)
How to research your New Jersey house by Doug McVarish ()
New Jersey House by Helen Schwartz (N.J. 728.09749 Sch)