We can do it for you (for a fee)

Note: Because the Cook County Recorder of Deeds Office is no longer readily available to the public, we will not be able to provide the names of previous owners of the property.  The fee will be correspondingly less: $35 to $50.00.

We research buildings for a fee. First, one must be or become a member, as this service is available only for our members. If you are not already a member, you can become one now by completing the membership form and mailing it to us with your check. Click here for the membership form. The other limitation is that we offer this service only for buildings within Edgewater (Chicago community area 77.)

The fee, which is in addition to the membership dues, is currently $50.00 or $75.00, depending on the difficulty of the search. You will be invoiced after the research is completed and given to you.

We consult at least two sources – the Chicago History Museum (or the on-line source) for permit information and the Cook County Recorder of Deeds for information as to who owned the property. We may also seek to find out the occupation of the original owner of the building. We also seach the Chicago Tribune digial archives for the address of the building. What you receive is a letter with the results of our research: date the permit was issued, to whom it was issued (original owner), name of architect if given, name of contractor if given, and names of owners of property through 1984. Click here for an example of a letter that was sent to a person who asked us to do research on his or her home.

If you want us to research your building for you (or any building for that matter, even if it isn’t yours) complete the contact form here.  Please allow at least 60 days for completion of the research.