House Histories

The East Grand Rapids History Room offers compiled histories of homes in East Grand Rapids. Histories include photos, articles, real estate information, biographical information on past owners of your home. These are multi-page reports, many over 50 pages long.

Due to overwhelming response - house history requests are on hold until 2024. At that time the price will be $100 per house.

If you wish to be on the waiting list for 2024, send your request to Mary Dersch, EGR History Room curator
egrhistoryroom@gmail.com

Want to do your own research?

There are many ways to locate information on your home. Searching for home history is often like detective work. Sometimes there is not a good deal of history to be found. The following entities are local repositories for information on your home:

East Grand Rapids History Room

EGR Library Upper Level, 746 Lakeside Drive SE
Mary Dersch, curator 616-241-2092
Email: egrhistoryroom@gmail.com
Facebook:

Historical Assessment Rolls. Include assessments, reassessments, street paving, storm sewers. These are historical, not current. Not all addresses are represented. Large ledger books located on bottom shelves.
Real Estate Clippings and Articles on Your Home. Located in vertical file entitled HOMES.
Newspaper Databases - (link coming soon!)
Online catalog of general articles: https://www.librarything.com/catalog/EGRHistoryRoom
(catalog is for searching only – materials are available at the History Room, not online)

City of East Grand Rapids

750 Lakeside Drive SE
Public Works Department (lower level)
(616) 940-4817

Blueprints/house plans
Zoning variances
Some homes not represented.
Fee for copies

City Assessor’s Office (main level)
(616) 940-4818

Historical Photographs, Values
Not all homes represented.
Fee for copies

City online assessing database: https://bsaonline.com/?uid=320

Search by name or address
Recent history of sales, values, photos, etc.

Grand Rapids Public Library

111 Library Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI
(616) 988.5400
http://www.grpl.org/research/history/

Local history archives
Betty Gibout Real Estate Listing Cards (1950-1990’s). Located in Special Collections Department.
STREETS vertical files. Not all homes are represented.
Historical Magazines: Grand Rapids Progress 1912-15; Grand Rapids Spectator 1927-31, Grand Rapids Mirror 1933-1942., Articles on prominent homes. Located in Special Collections Department. Online reference catalog: https://catalog.grpl.org/eg/opac/record/4941916?locg=1
Grand Rapids Polk City Directories. Streets, addresses, people and occupations in Grand Rapids from the late 1800s. Use last names or company names or house given name such as “Cricket Hill” etc. Located in Special Collections Department.
Architectural Database: http://www.grpl.org/homes/. Index of 2,800 properties in Grand Rapids and the metropolitan area 1907-1942. This is an index to Grand Rapids newspaper articles on your home and its architect. Some photos, not all homes are represented. Articles and related materials are housed in this vertical file collection.