Finally consult the innumerable sources at the Historical Society Library to learn more about the house and the people who lived in it. The newspaper clippings file, dating back to 1815, is a treasure for the property searcher. Armed with your brief of title, search for a description of the property at the time of each sale. Additional primary sources include census records, letters, account books, diaries, surveys, handbills and insurance policies. Be sure to check the map collection.
Every search is different and every problem is solved by a different set of records.
Sometimes the answer is simple and clear-cut. Generally it is more complex than that and a combination of records is needed to build a body of circumstantial evidence to establish a building date.