July 23, 2007
Dissect your house | Rick Morris and his house histories tell you where your property has been
By Whit Richardson
Rick Morris loves a nice, slow real estate market. A buyer's market means real estate agents need to distinguish their homes from the market glut, which could mean more business for Morris' service ˆ researching the history of homes.
Morris has worked as a historical archaeologist for almost 20 years. Most of his clients are builders and developers working on older properties who need Morris to help them meet historic preservation requirements. But three years ago, Morris began to also offer what he calls "house histories" for private homes.
Morris, who in 2002 founded the historic consulting company In Depth Archaeology in Lewiston, is one of 16 historic archaeologists registered with the Maine Historic Preservation Commission to help developers meet historic preservation requirements. But he may be the only house historian in Maine, according to Lee Cranmer, the commission's historical archaeologist in residence.
Instead of digging for ruins from a bygone society, Morris digs through deed records and genealogical information to create a detailed ownership history of a historic house. Morris researches the history of a house's interior, using architectural details to determine, for example, when a wall was erected or where the tree to make a mantelpiece came from.
House histories cost from $400 to upwards of $1,300 for more comprehensive studies that could include archaeological excavations in the property's backyard to figure out where previous structures stood or how the home's foundation was built. "I'm taking the concept of archaeology and looking at a house with that," Morris says. "I peel away layers of time in a way an architect does not do."
Morris's peeling produces a home's unique story. And that story can help set a house on the market apart from the rest, says Brenda Fontaine, a real estate agent with The Fontaine Family Group and ERA/Worden in Auburn who recently hired Morris to conduct a house history on a client's home on Main Street in Lewiston. "You have to think of unique ways to market a property in a buyer's market," she says. "This is just one way."
For Fontaine's client, Morris dug through deeds and city records to find the house's past owners. The Victorian manor house now sits on a few acres in downtown Lewiston, but 150 years ago it sat on a 100-acre parcel owned and occupied by a Civil War general by the name of Manning. In 1896, Manning sold off a large section of his property to be subdivided.
Now, 75 houses sit on property that once belonged to Manning. A central street running through the neighborhood is even named Manning Street.
In an old book about Lewiston homes, Morris discovered that it was one of the first private homes in the area to have an elevator. He plans to research the elevator more to determine how significant that distinction is. "If I can find out some of those things that make the house a unique house it can make [the house history] a real tool to sell," Morris says.
Bones in the backyard
Sometimes, history isn't pretty. Last year, Morris completed a house history on another home in Lewiston. The 19th century house wasn't on the market at the time, but the owners were considering putting it up for sale. They knew the house was once a funeral home and they wanted to make sure there weren't any hidden surprises for a person who might want to dig a garden in the yard, since, Morris explains, it was common for funeral homes in the early days to bury bodies in the backyard if no one paid for the burial.
Morris didn't find any skeletons in the yard, but he did discover the house was 20 years older than anyone had thought. The front door had been moved and the post office changed the home's address, after which that date was recorded in city records as the construction date. The discovery was interesting, but so far it hasn't helped the owners sell the house, Morris says.
But as the real estate market tightens, Casey Gray, a real estate agent with RE/MAX in Scarborough, says she would risk discovering a burial ground in a house's backyard if it meant the difference between a quick sell and a listing wallowing on the market.
Providing something like a house history "is definitely going to stand out in a buyer's mind," Gray says. "You're giving them a little more for their money than the other house is."
Morris, 55, has completed around 10 house histories. Some people, he says, just want a stronger connection to the home they live in, whether they've owned it for a short time or it's been in the family for generations. Sometimes owners of businesses like bed-and-breakfasts like to know more about the building to market it to potential guests. Morris' job as a house historian is often to sort out the truth from whatever kind of local legends or family folklore exists about the house. For example, Morris once studied an 18th century home in Portsmouth with a lightening rod that, according to family legend, was installed by Benjamin Franklin. Morris couldn't find conclusive evidence that Franklin did the handiwork, though the founding father was reportedly in town when the rod was installed and is "quite likely" the responsible party, he says.
Homeowners interested in learning more about their homes are definitely a niche crowd, Morris explains. But now that the real estate market is tightening up, he expects to hear more from real estate agents like Fontaine with her seven-bedroom, three-kitchen Manning manor. "I want to make the house more intriguing for a prospective buyer," Fontaine says. "I believe it's going to make a difference."
Old news
In Depth's basic house history package, which takes Morris only a few weeks to complete, includes a list of past owners, copies of all deeds, historic documents, photographs and some related maps. Pricier packages can include the genealogy and occupation of previous owners, maps of the property showing boundary changes over the years, detailed inventories of historic features inside and outside of the house or on any buildings on the property, transcriptions of oral histories related to the house and artifacts recovered during Morris' archaeological excavation.
Morris includes with every package a written narrative history of the house, ranging in length from a few pages to a 25-page detailed history for larger projects. When working with real estate agents, Morris says they often want no more than a blurb to help market the house, and the narrative is an easy way for them to pick the information they want to tout.
Real estate agent Fontaine heard about In Depth Archaeology from another agent who ran across Morris in mid June at the Androscoggin Business to Business Trade Show in Lewiston. Fontaine immediately thought a house history would be perfect for the $1 million property she's trying to sell, which includes the Manning manor and a modern two-bedroom home. Though she probably wouldn't have gone through the trouble during a booming real estate market, Fontaine called Morris and hired him to compile a basic history of the house.
Morris says his house history gigs capitalize not only on a lagging real estate market but also on homeowners' fascination with the past.
Reverence for history bodes well for everybody, Morris says. It means the value of land increases if a developer or homebuyer comes knocking. And it also is important for the community to understand its roots. "If you don't know your past, it's harder to know your future," he says. "It's a cliché, but it's true."
Morris has worked as a historical archaeologist for almost 20 years. Most of his clients are builders and developers working on older properties who need Morris to help them meet historic preservation requirements. But three years ago, Morris began to also offer what he calls "house histories" for private homes.
Morris, who in 2002 founded the historic consulting company In Depth Archaeology in Lewiston, is one of 16 historic archaeologists registered with the Maine Historic Preservation Commission to help developers meet historic preservation requirements. But he may be the only house historian in Maine, according to Lee Cranmer, the commission's historical archaeologist in residence.
Instead of digging for ruins from a bygone society, Morris digs through deed records and genealogical information to create a detailed ownership history of a historic house. Morris researches the history of a house's interior, using architectural details to determine, for example, when a wall was erected or where the tree to make a mantelpiece came from.
House histories cost from $400 to upwards of $1,300 for more comprehensive studies that could include archaeological excavations in the property's backyard to figure out where previous structures stood or how the home's foundation was built. "I'm taking the concept of archaeology and looking at a house with that," Morris says. "I peel away layers of time in a way an architect does not do."
Morris's peeling produces a home's unique story. And that story can help set a house on the market apart from the rest, says Brenda Fontaine, a real estate agent with The Fontaine Family Group and ERA/Worden in Auburn who recently hired Morris to conduct a house history on a client's home on Main Street in Lewiston. "You have to think of unique ways to market a property in a buyer's market," she says. "This is just one way."
For Fontaine's client, Morris dug through deeds and city records to find the house's past owners. The Victorian manor house now sits on a few acres in downtown Lewiston, but 150 years ago it sat on a 100-acre parcel owned and occupied by a Civil War general by the name of Manning. In 1896, Manning sold off a large section of his property to be subdivided.
Now, 75 houses sit on property that once belonged to Manning. A central street running through the neighborhood is even named Manning Street.
In an old book about Lewiston homes, Morris discovered that it was one of the first private homes in the area to have an elevator. He plans to research the elevator more to determine how significant that distinction is. "If I can find out some of those things that make the house a unique house it can make [the house history] a real tool to sell," Morris says.
Bones in the backyard
Sometimes, history isn't pretty. Last year, Morris completed a house history on another home in Lewiston. The 19th century house wasn't on the market at the time, but the owners were considering putting it up for sale. They knew the house was once a funeral home and they wanted to make sure there weren't any hidden surprises for a person who might want to dig a garden in the yard, since, Morris explains, it was common for funeral homes in the early days to bury bodies in the backyard if no one paid for the burial.
Morris didn't find any skeletons in the yard, but he did discover the house was 20 years older than anyone had thought. The front door had been moved and the post office changed the home's address, after which that date was recorded in city records as the construction date. The discovery was interesting, but so far it hasn't helped the owners sell the house, Morris says.
But as the real estate market tightens, Casey Gray, a real estate agent with RE/MAX in Scarborough, says she would risk discovering a burial ground in a house's backyard if it meant the difference between a quick sell and a listing wallowing on the market.
Providing something like a house history "is definitely going to stand out in a buyer's mind," Gray says. "You're giving them a little more for their money than the other house is."
Morris, 55, has completed around 10 house histories. Some people, he says, just want a stronger connection to the home they live in, whether they've owned it for a short time or it's been in the family for generations. Sometimes owners of businesses like bed-and-breakfasts like to know more about the building to market it to potential guests. Morris' job as a house historian is often to sort out the truth from whatever kind of local legends or family folklore exists about the house. For example, Morris once studied an 18th century home in Portsmouth with a lightening rod that, according to family legend, was installed by Benjamin Franklin. Morris couldn't find conclusive evidence that Franklin did the handiwork, though the founding father was reportedly in town when the rod was installed and is "quite likely" the responsible party, he says.
Homeowners interested in learning more about their homes are definitely a niche crowd, Morris explains. But now that the real estate market is tightening up, he expects to hear more from real estate agents like Fontaine with her seven-bedroom, three-kitchen Manning manor. "I want to make the house more intriguing for a prospective buyer," Fontaine says. "I believe it's going to make a difference."
Old news
In Depth's basic house history package, which takes Morris only a few weeks to complete, includes a list of past owners, copies of all deeds, historic documents, photographs and some related maps. Pricier packages can include the genealogy and occupation of previous owners, maps of the property showing boundary changes over the years, detailed inventories of historic features inside and outside of the house or on any buildings on the property, transcriptions of oral histories related to the house and artifacts recovered during Morris' archaeological excavation.
Morris includes with every package a written narrative history of the house, ranging in length from a few pages to a 25-page detailed history for larger projects. When working with real estate agents, Morris says they often want no more than a blurb to help market the house, and the narrative is an easy way for them to pick the information they want to tout.
Real estate agent Fontaine heard about In Depth Archaeology from another agent who ran across Morris in mid June at the Androscoggin Business to Business Trade Show in Lewiston. Fontaine immediately thought a house history would be perfect for the $1 million property she's trying to sell, which includes the Manning manor and a modern two-bedroom home. Though she probably wouldn't have gone through the trouble during a booming real estate market, Fontaine called Morris and hired him to compile a basic history of the house.
Morris says his house history gigs capitalize not only on a lagging real estate market but also on homeowners' fascination with the past.
Reverence for history bodes well for everybody, Morris says. It means the value of land increases if a developer or homebuyer comes knocking. And it also is important for the community to understand its roots. "If you don't know your past, it's harder to know your future," he says. "It's a cliché, but it's true."
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