How do I research the history of my house?
How do I research the history of my house?
Answer
This database contains records of approximately 9,078 architectural jobs with an estimated 99,813 sheets designed by more than 250 architects and engineers stretching back to the early part of the twentieth century.
While the vast majority of database records are concerned with the drawings of buildings in the Houston area, there are a few structures from elsewhere in Texas and the nation. Drawings in the collection comprise a history of homes from the modest to the grand, small office buildings to recent skyscrapers, "dream palace theaters" to the Astrodome, manufacturing plants to automobile dealerships and even service stations. The architects range from the famous such as Finn, Sullivan, MacKie & Kamrath, Chase, and Barnstone to the less well known.
These are records of drawings, not the drawings themselves. To view a selection of digitized architectural drawings from our collections, please visit the Houston Public Library Digital Archives.