Through meticulous research of records the history is revealed of your home, the home of an ancestor, or a building you are responsible for as a preservationist or real estate agent. Details are presented in a report, or developed into a bespoke book for your library, coffee table, or gift, with a narrative of the structure's history from pre-construction to the present, stories of previous owners/occupants, photos, and maps, creating the life story of your property.
56 West 10th, Manhattan, NY
The present owner of a house, once belonging to John Belushi, wanted to chronicle the life of the home up to the present to include the story of his own family's connection to the building. Legacy Roots was engaged to discover the date of construction and the builder of the 1850s townhouse he lived in. A complete archival study was conducted in numerous repositories along with an archaeological examination of the artifactual features of the interior and exterior of the home. Legacy Roots worked with various experts to provide the owner with a comprehensive search to reach the owner's goal.
Ellisdale Road, Crosswicks, NJ
When it came time to sell the family home, Legacy Roots was engaged to perform a complete physical and archival search to determine the name of the builder and year it was constructed. The property which was divided, subdivided, and added to over time with deed filing crossing county lines, and the construction of a road through the property in 1765, the search was a challenge, but not impossible. A documented report of the archival investigation and results of the archaeological analysis of the artifactual features was presented to the owners.
Evermay, Tinicum, PA
Legacy Roots researched beyond the requirements of the historic designation, uncovering an unusual personal family document signed between father and sons in the early 19th century. The contract, which had gone unnoticed by previous researchers, was drawn up by the father who was concerned that his sons would use the residential parcels he gave to them for business. The signed contract was a promise by them not to do so. This was included in the story of the family home, memorialized in a bespoke book which included rare photos, maps, and documents.
211 West 62nd, Manhattan, NY
A thorough study of architect M.C. Merritt and builder Thomas Kilpatrick, construction and alterations, along with the occupants and owners of this prestigious townhome was conducted for the Fenwick Keats RE agent. Discovering the particulars of two specific occupants, Eleanor Roosevelt and composer Vittorio Giannini, provided a fascinating background of the spirit of the home, drawing potential buyers into the life and soul of the building. An open house event incorporated the details of the works by the composer, offering several bespoke drinks named after his compositions, and engaging the talents of a local artist to play several musical pieces were utilized. A historical account of the life of the building, the physical changes, and the hidden stories of its residents was developed into an information piece, provided to prospective buyers.
504 Hudson Street, Hoboken, NJ
The agent for this distinguished townhome requested an investigation into the specific build date along with the history of owners and occupants to develop marketing materials. With the use of local history, directories, newspapers, and other resources, Legacy Roots was able to pinpoint the exact year of construction, within a span of months, which is uncommon. The information provided the agent with talking points regarding the property. The stories of one specific owner was highlighted, while the details of its build date and the fabric of the home were featured, offering marketing materials for prospective buyers providing a strong prospectus for the next and future owners as a reference for additions, alterations, and resale.
331 West 87th, Manhattan, NY
Vandenberg, Inc, The Townhouse Experts, engaged Legacy Roots to research the history of 331 West 87th Street. Though many row houses designed by the builder sprang up during the implementation of the New York Commissioner's grid street pattern in the late 1800s, it was not the case in this instance. This townhouse, and its companions, 327, 329, and 333 West 87th were designed by a master architect, Charles Pierrepont Henry Gilbert. Details and photographs discovered during historical research were set down on an informational and engaging marketing piece. Other properties researched for this company included 24 West 71st, 33 West 94th, 56-58 West 75th, 21 West 85th, 261 West 85th, 310 West 89th in Manhattan, and 12 Remsen in Brooklyn.
The Ox Inn, Detwiller, Alsace, France
A family butcher and innkeeping business, located in the building at 26 rue de la Gare, Dettwiller, France in 1690, continued into the 19th century. The bas-relief keystone of an ox surmounted by a hammer with details of the sandstone and plastered wood panel bears the date 1752 and includes 3 runes. Legacy Roots analyzed the feature onsite and consulted with the town's historical society, the culture general inventory of monuments text, and various archival documents and resources, to reveal that one of the runes translates 'ox.' The project has increased interest in analyzing runes reaching back to the 15th century in Alsace as it relates to immigration history in Bas-Rhin.
Matawan, Monmouth, NJ
The various foundations of this older home which speaks of multiple additions intrigued the owner. A full study was conducted to determine its age and to assist in recovering the original architectural features which had been covered over by the previous owner. In addition, the owner requested an analysis of the fabric of the foundation, and recommendations for best conservative material and method required to repair the foundation walls. It was discovered that the structure was built in four phases spanning from the early 19th century to the 20th. Legacy Roots provided results in report form which will be used to pass on to future owners.
Montclair, Essex, NJ
When Montclair State University decided to add on to the building, College Hall, one of the walls revealed hidden history. One hundred twelve years earlier, several construction workers wrote a note about the part they had in the construction of the college and secured it in a bottle. After the sound of breaking glass during renovations in 2019, a quest was undertaken to determine who these workers were and if they had living relatives. Legacy Roots volunteered to find the answer and discovered an obscure resource connecting two of the workers and names of family members, which was instrumental in solving the mystery and locating living descendants.