How do you find old house sites?
Verdict summary
Old house sites show on historic maps as small black squares, and on the ground as foundations, cellar holes, chimney falls, old wells, and non-native plants such as lilacs, daffodils, yucca or fruit trees. LiDAR reveals foundations and old roads hidden under forest.
Start with the oldest topographic map and county atlas you can find, mark every building, then check which ones are gone on today's map. Old roads that no longer exist often lead to abandoned homesteads.
Sources: USGS historical topographic maps; County historical atlases.
How can I see what used to be on my land? Look at historic maps and aerial photos of the spot. In the United States, USGS historical topographic maps go back to the 1880s and show buildings, mines, roads and schools; historic aerial photos go back to the 1930s or 1940s in many places; and fire-insurance (Sanborn) maps cover towns. Old county plat maps and deeds name past owners.
Where is the best place to metal detect? The best places to metal detect are where many people gathered over a long time: old homesites, parks, schoolyards, fairgrounds, swimming holes, beaches, picnic grounds, old roads and stage stops. Historic maps show where these places were, even when nothing is visible today.
Primary sources cited
- USGS historical topographic maps
- County historical atlases