House History Research
Digital Resources & Databases
Boston Public Library Online Newspaper Collections
Every Massachusetts resident can apply for a free eCard from the Boston Public Library (https://www.bpl.org/ecard/), which enables access to the BPL’s large digital historic newspaper collection.
Cape Ann Museum Library & Archives Digital Collections
A major resource for the study of the industrial, social, maritime and art history of Cape Ann, including a photo archive collection.
This site provides access to photographs, manuscripts, books, audio recordings, and other materials of historical interest that have been digitized and made available by members of Digital Commonwealth, a statewide consortium of libraries, museums, archives, and historical societies from across Massachusetts.
A list of directories from 1860 through 1993, with gaps.
Gloucester Daily Times & Cape Ann Newspapers Digital Archive
The library’s collection of Cape Ann newspapers are available digitally from 1827 through August 1998, with gaps. These include the Gloucester Telegraph, Cape Ann Advertiser, and the Gloucester Daily Times.
Gloucester Property Assessments Database
Look up local properties and find current and past owners.
Digitized Town Records, including Book 1, 1642-1782 and Book 2, 1707-1820
Historic American Building Survey/Engineering Record/Landscape Survey (HABS/HAER/HALS)
The collections from the Library of Congress document achievements in architecture, engineering, and landscape design in the United States and its territories through a comprehensive range of building types, engineering technologies, and landscapes.
Massachusetts Historical Commission: MACRIS – Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System
The Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS) allows you to search the Massachusetts Historical Commission database for information on historic properties and areas in the Commonwealth.
Southern Essex County Registry of Deeds
Search recorded deeds from 1640 to the present.
Maps & Atlases
This site provides access to photographs, manuscripts, books, audio recordings, and other materials of historical interest that have been digitized and made available by members of Digital Commonwealth, a statewide consortium of libraries, museums, archives, and historical societies from across Massachusetts.
A selection of historic maps, often with watermarks, unless purchased.
Leventhal Map & Education Center, Boston Public Library
The Leventhal Map & Education Center has one of the most significant digital collections of any North American map library.
Library of Congress: Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps of Gloucester
This collection provides a searchable database of the fire insurance maps published by the Sanborn Map Company housed in the collections of the Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress.
Search aerial maps by communities provided by the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
NOBLE Digital Heritage: Gloucester Map Collection
The digital map collection of the Sawyer Free Library, which has a variety of maps and atlases in its collection. Some maps are of local interest, including street maps and maps of local landmarks and sites of interest.
Digitized atlases of Gloucester from 1884, 1899, and 1917-1919
State Library of Massachusetts Real Estate Atlas Digitization Project
A collection of 167 digitized atlases, most of which date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, document the development of neighborhoods over time.
Books related to Cape Ann and Gloucester History
Cape Ann Vertical and Biography Files
Microfilm Collection
Make an appointment with Julie Travers, Local History Librarian to learn how to research the history of your home. Email jtravers@sawyerfreelibrary.org for more information.
Historic House Plaque Application
Provided by the Gloucester Historical Commission, find information and instructions on how to obtain a plaque for your home.
