Researching the history of a residence can be difficult.  Below are some suggestions for beginning your Ouachita Parish house history research.   

1. Property descriptions and Accessor’s Parcel Numbers are available online at the Ouachita Parish Accessor’s Office. Their website is www.opassessor.com and the database address is https://www.actdatascout.com/RealProperty/Louisiana/Ouachita

2. Original construction date, owner and possibly the names of the contractor and architect may be found on building permits.  Copies may be obtained from the Building Permit Office of the Ouachita Parish Police Jury, 1650 Desiard Street Suite 202 Monroe, Louisiana 71201, (318) 398-9780

3.  Property ownership records are available through the Ouachita Parish Clerk of Court’s Office.  Records prior to 1970 are available at 301 South Grand Street, Suite 104.  Records after 1970 are available online for a fee. Visit https://www.opclerkofcourt.com/#!/home

4. Monroe and West Monroe City Directories annually list residencies and addresses. Some older directories can be found in the Genealogy Room of the Ouachita Parish Public Library.

5. The Ancestry Library Edition database contains several indexes such as Voter Registration Lists, Public Records Filings, Historical Residential Records, and Census Records, some of which identify residents at an address. Ancestry Library Edition may be accessed at any Ouachita Parish Public Library location. Use quotes to search addresses by keyword.   

6. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps may show the original structure of the property and layout of the street if the property is in town.  The Ouachita Parish Public Library Special Collections has print Sanborn maps for 1913, 1926 and 1932.  The Library of Congress has some digitized Ouachita Parish, Monroe and West Monroe maps available at  https://www.loc.gov/collections/sanborn-maps

7. The Newspapers.com database can be used to search for addresses, owner’s names, obituaries of previous owners and sometimes building permits.  This database is available through the library website and offers remote access with a library card. 

8. The Louisiana Digital Library (LDL) may provide images of the neighborhood or in rare instances, your house.  Search the LDL at https://louisianadigitallibrary.org

9. Some older homes are included on the National Register of Historic Places. Check their online database at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/index.htm

10. The Ouachita Parish Public Library has books on local history, family history and vertical file clippings of local interest. Check there if you think your home might be included in any of these resources.

11. Information may be found online at sites such as The National Trust for Historic Preservation  https://savingplaces.org/stories/preservation-tips-toolshomep-10-ways-research-homes-history#.X9k4B9hKjIU  and The Public Broadcasting (PBS) History Detectives  https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/technique/building-background/  

12. Commercial websites may also provide information.  Examples include: HomeAdvisor A Guide to Researching the History of a House - HomeAdvisor, Trace my House http://www.tracemyhouse.com/, and Old House Web https://www.oldhouseweb.com/architecture-and-design/finding-the-history-in-your-home.shtml