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FGS – If These Walls Could Talk: House Histories in Town and Country
The Falmouth Genealogical Society Presents Talk:
If These Walls Could Talk: House Histories in Town and Country
with Jill Morelli, CG, CGL and Pam Pracser Anderson, CG
Saturday, June 7, 2025, 10:00 am–12:00 pm
Oak Grove Cemetery, 46 Jones Road, Falmouth, MA
In-Person and Zoom. For the Zoom credential, contact fgspresident@gmail.com no later than June 6th.
The Falmouth Genealogical Society (FGS) will hold its monthly talk and Annual Meeting on Saturday, June 7, 2025, from 10:00 am-12:00 pm at Oak Grove Cemetery, 46 Jones Road, Falmouth, MA.
If These Walls Could Talk: House Histories in Town and Country will be presented in person by Jill Morelli, CG, CGL and Pam Pracser Anderson, CG
Did you ever wonder about the people who lived in your house—or an ancestor’s home? Whether it’s a farmhouse nestled in the countryside or a house on a city block, every house has a story to tell. This presentation explores how to research the history of a house using both urban and rural examples. We will look at a city house’s evolution over time through maps, deeds, city directories, and building permits, then contrast that with a long-held farm property, focusing on land transfers, tax records, censuses, and newspapers. Both case studies highlight the kinds of questions to ask and the types of records that reveal how a property and its families changed over time. Special attention will be given to resources and repositories relevant to Massachusetts researchers, though the strategies can be applied anywhere. Whether exploring your ancestors’ houses or your own, you will leave with a clear sense of how to begin—or deepen—your own house history research.
Jill Morelli, CG, CGL is a writer, lecturer, and co-founder of the Applied Genealogy Institute (Learn by Doing) and founder of the award winning (2) Certification Discussion Group that demystifies the BCG portfolio process by sharing techniques learned personally and from others. She lectures and has written articles for NGSQ, The Sept and others. She is past president of Seattle Genealogical Society and is program director for the Puget Sound Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists. And she loves returning to the Falmouth Genealogical Society for the 11th year!
Pam Pracser Anderson is a Certified Genealogist and owner of Anderson CoGen in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. She began researching her family history in 2010, beginning with one of the original settlers of Owego and Tioga Counties in New York. Pam lectures on various genealogy topics and has written articles for the NGSQ, NYG&B Record, and Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly among others. She received the NGS Award of Merit for the Certification Discussion Group’s Mentorship Program that support individuals pursing genealogy certification.