Resources for researching the history of homes, buildings and neighborhoods

Special Collections at Minneapolis Central Library has many resources to help you find information on the history of your home. Additional resources can be found at other libraries, archives, historical societies and government agencies.

Contact Special Collections for assistance with your search.

Building permits and index cards

• Minneapolis Building Permit Index Cards
  Learn about the construction and improvement history of your house or building (1884-1974). Search by address or street name. Learn how to interpret a permit card (PDF)
• Minneapolis building permits
  Original permits may include the architect and more detailed information about work performed. Available in the City of Minneapolis Historic Property Permit Dashboard. Recent permits available through the online Property Info Search.
• Non-Minneapolis building permits
  Retention varies from city to city. Start by contacting the Building Inspection or Planning Department within your city. They may refer you to the local historical society.

Blueprints and Architectural Styles

• House plan books and periodicals
  Local architect publications like these, primarily from the early 20th century, may contain similar or identical floor plans to your house. Additional house plan books and magazines are available in print in Special Collections.
• Northwest Architectural Archives
  This University of Minnesota archive includes records of architects, engineers, contractors, landscape architects and interior designers from the region. Materials include blueprints, drawings, job files, photographs, and other original material. Appointment required.

Photographs

• Hennepin County Library Digital Collections
  Browse thousands of photos of houses, apartments, duplexes, condos, and more. Search by address or browse by Minneapolis neighborhood or Hennepin County city or town.
• Minnesota Historical Aerial Photographs Online
  Digitized aerial photographs from the 1920s to 1970s from the University of Minnesota Borchert Map Library.
• Minnesota Historical Society Collections

Maps and atlases

• Maps
  Maps may show property boundaries, ward boundaries, roads, railroad tracks, streetcar lines, the names of businesses, geographical attributes, and more. View thousands of maps in Digital Collections. Find more maps at the University of Minnesota Borchert Map Library.
• Plat maps (atlases)
  View the library's digitized Minneapolis plat books (1885 - 1887 - 1892 - 1898 - 1903 - 1914 - 1940) online in addition to many suburban atlases. Atlases are available in print in Special Collections.
• Historical Hennepin County Plat Maps
  Over 4,000 county plat maps digitized in partnership with the Hennepin County Recorder’s Office. These maps show boundaries and ownership of land parcels at the addition level. Please contact the Hennepin County Recorder/Registrar of Titles if you are interested in viewing the current legal version.
• Minneapolis Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps
  Sanborn maps chart the growth and development of cities and provide a wealth of information, such as building outline, size, shape, and construction materials used. The Special Collections edition uses a 1912 base map and includes changes and additions through about 1930.
• Hennepin County Interactive Property Map
  Current map of all Hennepin County properties. Includes description of property, tax information, and more.

Lot Surveys

Surveys contain original footprint, dimensions, and outbuildings for Minneapolis properties or buildings with building permit work performed from 1916 to 1965 (permits B122143 to B394097). Lot surveys do not exist for every building permit.

• Minneapolis Lot Survey Collection
  Search the digitized collection by address or building permit number, which can be found on the building permit index cards.
• Hennepin County Interactive Property Map
  Surveyed properties for Minneapolis and broader Hennepin County can also be found in the Hennepin County Interactive Property Map. Zoom in to turn on “Surveyed Properties” map layer for access to lot surveys.

City Directories

Directories list the previous occupants of a house and often their occupation and place of employment. Some suburban directories even list children’s names and ages. Search online directories by address. Minneapolis print directories can be browsed by address beginning in 1930. Learn how to search the online city directories (PDF)

• Online City Directories
  Includes directories for Minneapolis and the Hennepin County suburbs of Edina, Hopkins, Morningside, St. Louis Park, and Lake Minnetonka communities. Additional community directories will continue to be digitized.
• Other city directories
Available in print at Minneapolis Central Library. Coverage varies from city to city. “Suburban Area” directories cover 1956-1988 and include most inner ring suburbs. Additional individual directories are available for many cities in Minnesota.

Newspapers

• Newspaper clippings
  Vertical files are available in Special Collections by subject or person name. Files may be available for a particular address, homeowner, architect or Minneapolis neighborhood. Excellent coverage of 1920s-1980s.
• Minneapolis neighborhood newspapers
  Special Collections houses a significant collection of Minneapolis neighborhood newspapers. View digitized neighborhood newspapers in Digital Collections.
• Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub
  Free online access to many early Minnesota newspapers, provided by the Minnesota Historical Society.
• Star Tribune Archive (1867-present)
  Subscription database available only in a library. Search by address for classified ads, real estate listings, obituaries, and more.

Additional property records

• Hennepin County Recorder’s Office
  Legal documents, such as Torrens certificates, from real estate transactions related to property within Hennepin County. Other documents such as military separations, mortgage records, and tax liens are recorded here.
• Just Deeds
  Learn about racial covenants and what you can do to acknowledge this discrimination, discharge these covenants from your property, and build a foundation for more inclusive communities. Learn more from Mapping Prejudice.