Submitted by choward on

If These Walls Could Talk: 
Researching Your Home’s History

Property & Occupancy Records

1. City Directories

Available from 1879 to the present, city directories list residents by surname, providing addresses, occupations, and sometimes spouse names. Business listings, advertisements, and community information are also included, with a street address cross-reference index added after 1900. City directories can be used to determine when a property was built and who lived there. However, researchers should be aware that street names, especially in the Old Colorado City and Westside areas, changed multiple times between the 1870s and 1917, and in some cases, odd and even house numbers were flipped to opposite sides of the street. Directories are available for Colorado Springs, Colorado City (now Old Colorado City), and Manitou Springs, but other areas of the region may not be included. The collection does not include directories for every year. Digitized directories from 1879 through 1929 can be accessed online here.

2. Building Permits 

Building permits date back to March 1900, but there are gaps between April 1902 and September 1907 where no records exist. Some permits were issued out of sequence, and numbering was inconsistent. A separate set of county permits exists from 1954 to 1964, though the distinction between city and county permits is unclear. Permits provide details such as date, owner, contractor, structure type, and costs, with some stamped for inspection milestones. Indexes exist for most years, but 1900 and 1952 to 1965 are not indexed, making searches for those years more difficult. Find more information about building permits, including the option to download the full finding aid.

Government & Public Records

3. El Paso County Assessor’s Website

Provides property ownership history, parcel details, and assessed values. Dates before 1950 for construction are often only estimates. Ownership records typically only go back a few decades, making the website unreliable for tracking ownership prior to the mid-1990s. Visit the El Paso County Assessor for more information.

4. Building Department Records 

Contains a recent history of pulled permits but is not a comprehensive source for detailed property history. To search for permits, visit the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department's permit search.

5. Homestead Parcel Search & Government Land Office Records

You can use RandyMajors.org Township Search to find the exact township designation of a parcel at the time it was transferred from the federal government. This allows researchers to use Government Land Office (GLO) records to locate land grants, homesteads, and early sales. It is a comprehensive source for identifying the first owner of a property, but there is often a gap in the record between this initial transfer and more recent ownership records available on the Assessor’s website. In the city, large tracts of land were often purchased by single buyers like William Jackson Palmer or Henry Austin, making this method more useful for properties farther from the downtown core that were transferred as homesteads or in smaller sales.

6. Tapping Records (1902-1940, partial) 

These records document when a house was connected to the water line. While not detailed, they can serve as a last resort for establishing the earliest date a given property appears in official records. They are part of the El Paso County Permit Records, organized by street, and can be located by staff upon request.

Maps & Property Development

7. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps

These maps are the best resource available for viewing the layouts and footprints of buildings on a property, including outbuildings and other secondary structures. Originally created for fire insurance assessment, they provide detailed depictions of construction materials, building use, and changes over time. The earliest maps for this region date from 1883, and the latest revisions are from around 1960. The library holds originals in an oversized book, but they may include modifications, as updates were pasted over earlier versions. The largest collection is from 1907, and many maps are available online through the Library of Congress.

8. Neighborhood Names & Plat Maps

Subdivision names can be found using SpringsView by expanding the first tab, “Land Records,” and turning on “Subdivisions.” These show how the land was originally platted—meaning how it was divided and designated for development. Once you have the subdivision name, you can use Colorado Springs’ subdivision document viewer to find the original plat map. This can reveal who platted the subdivision, sometimes multiple individuals, which may provide clues about early property ownership, who developed the land, and when the property was built.

9. Historic Maps

Some historic maps indicate whether a property existed on a specific lot. The Colorado Springs Historic Map Explorer by Tierra Plan allows you to overlay several historic maps of the region onto a current map, making it especially useful for identifying street name changes—particularly on the Colorado Springs Westside and in Old Colorado City. In addition, the Library holds hundreds of historic maps that can be used for a variety of property or neighborhood research. You can browse the Library’s map collection in our Digital Collections.

Books & Archival Records

10. Books & Published Inventories

Various books document neighborhood histories and architectural changes in the region. Examples include:

  • Old Colorado City Historic Inventory
  • The Westside: An Introduction to its History & Architecture
  • North End Historic District Design Guidelines
  • Sadie’s House – This book chronicles the research one person did on their home in the Old North End. It is based on records available in the 1980s, including the complete sales records once accessible at the Clerk & Recorder’s Office, which are no longer easily available to casual researchers. Because these records are no longer accessible, the book is now somewhat outdated as a research model.

11. Archival Records

Manuscript collections and neighborhood-specific records contain additional documentation for properties. Examples include:

  • Old North End Neighborhood Records, 1957-2018 (MSS 0546)
  • Old North End Neighborhood Plaque Application Records, 1873-2013 (MSS 0546)

When using books or archival records, it is important to determine the historical name of your neighborhood. You can find Colorado Spring’s official neighborhood designations on the city’s PlanCos map. However, some communities use different names than those officially recognized by Colorado Springs—such as K-Land, which the city refers to as East Lake.

Photographs & Newspaper Research

12. PPLD Digital Collections 

You can search for your property’s address to see if newspaper articles have been indexed with that address or, if you are fortunate, historical photographs of the property may be available. The collection features the Pikes Peak NewsFinder, an extensive index covering The Gazette and other local newspapers, including Facts, a short-lived publication with a strong focus on property development and purchases. In addition to newspapers, the collection contains historic photographs, maps, and other archival materials relevant to property research, all of which can be accessed on PPLD’s Digital Collections.

13. Other Newspaper Databases

Local and historic newspapers contain records of homesteads, obituaries, and articles about previous residents or property events. Newspaper Archives is the best place to start looking for articles, although it has a gap in coverage from the 1930s through the 1950s. Additional newspaper databases may provide broader historical coverage, but search functionality varies.

Other Property Research Methods

14. Using Architecture to Reach Assumptions 

Architectural style can provide clues about when a house was built. You can use Colorado’s Historic Architecture & Engineering Guide to help determine the architectural period of a specific piece of property. Other details, such as years stamped on older home features like fireplaces, plumbing fixtures, or even electrical panels, can also offer hints about the age of the home.

15. Blueprints

Blueprints for individual houses are very rare, but it is possible that a set exists. You can check our blueprint inventory to see if any are available. To search, you will need to know who lived at the house at the time of construction, as blueprints were typically filed under the name of the original owner, builder, or architect, and not by address.

16. Genealogical Records 

Researching the people who lived at a property can provide valuable clues about when and where it was built, sold, or transferred. Ancestry Library Edition (available online at any PPLD location) offers access to census data, property transactions, and other historical records. Explore all our available genealogical databases.

17. Ask Staff 

The Regional History & Genealogy collection includes various smaller sources, such as records of relocated houses, files on historical properties (including some homes), and other materials that may aid your research. If you hit a dead end, give us a call or visit us in person—our staff can help guide you to the best resources for your property search!