Researching Birmingham Area Houses and Buildings

Birmingham and Jefferson County enjoy a rich architectural heritage. For anyone researching the history of a local house or building, the downtown Birmingham Public Library offers several useful resources.

The best sources for beginning your research are:

-Jefferson County Board of Equalization Appraisal Files, available in the Birmingham Public Library Archives, can help to date a house, identify previous owners, show architectural alterations, and usually contain historic photographs. A Parcel Identification Number is needed to retrieve the file (see Suggested Research Strategy below). The Archives staff can help you interpret the file.

The appraisal files of the Jefferson County Board of Equalization contain basic information on structures (such as whether the structure is wood frame or brick, the type of roofing, heating, plumbing, number of rooms, size of structure) and the assessed value of the property for various years (but not each year). The files usually include an exterior photograph of the façade of the structure and sometimes date the structure. The structures appraised include residences, commercial and industrial buildings, schools, and churches. Some files include references for deeds and mortgages. Structures built before 1938 are included if they were still standing at the time of the Board of Equalization's first appraisal (generally 1938 to 1940). Structures built after the mid 1970s are not included in these files.The files do not include interior photographs, floor plans or other architectural drawings, names of architects, or detailed information on owners or occupants of a structure. In some cases files for demolished structures were discarded by the Board of Equalization before these files were transferred to the Archives Department in 1981. Because large numbers of people had access to these files before they were transferred to the Archives Department not all files are complete or have survived. In some cases photographs or other items are missing from the files, and in some cases entire files are missing.

-City directories for Birmingham and Bessemer, available in the Birmingham Public Library’s Southern History Department, can tell you who lived in a house, the occupant’s occupation, and may help date the house.

-Your neighbors or previous occupants of a house or building may be able to provide valuable information or photographs.

-Published histories of some neighborhoods and towns, and newspaper clipping files on many neighborhoods and towns, are available in the Birmingham Public Library’s Southern History Department.

-Library staff may be able to recommend additional sources of information depending on the age and location of your house or building.

Suggested Research Strategy

Approach your research systematically. A suggested strategy is to:

1. Visit or call the Jefferson County Board of Equalization (325-5566) to obtain your Parcel Identification Number.

2. Visit the Library’s Archives to see the Board of Equalization file on your property.

3. Visit the Library’s Southern History Department to check city directories, published sources, and clipping files.

4. Supplement the information gathered from these sources by talking to neighbors or previous occupants, by consulting property abstracts (if available), or by checking other sources recommended by library staff.

Difficult to Find Items

Certain items relating to houses and buildings can be difficult, or often impossible, to find. These include architectural drawings or blueprints for most houses and buildings, interior photographs (unless they can be obtained from previous owners), and the names of architects or builders. Except in rare cases, these items are not available at the Birmingham Public Library.