Task: Find an older building that's still being used. It doesn't have to be terribly old, 75 years or more would be plenty. If it is old enough, the house or apartment you live in or the school you attend works perfectly. Look at the building closely and try to see if you can tell what might have happened to it. Try to figure out what the history of the building was, and use this information, photos, and materials to build a display of your school or house.
Tour the Building
- Walk through each room in the house and look carefully at the floors, ceilings and walls. Can you tell if a wall or a window sill was painted a different color once? Look for layers of paint where the newest level is chipped or flaked or faded away.
Is there a crack in the wall? Irregular cracks could have happened because of a shifted foundation or earthquake, but straight cracks could have come from past remodeling. Is there a stain on the ceiling? How do you think that happened? Is there a staircase that goes nowhere or a doorway that's been nailed permanently shut?
Look at the Exterior, Too
- Now go look at the building from the outside. Are there exterior paint scars from old renovations? How about different colored bricks or other wall decorations? Are there any bricked-up windows or doors? Do the windows all have the same number of panes?
- Next, check around the yard. Are there any dry or damp patches where the grass grows better or worse? Are there any partially built walls or other areas that might be from an earlier building? Are there any places in the lawn that are lower or higher than others?
Interview Someone
- Find the oldest person you know who might know the building. Your mother or father, or a long time teacher or the janitor at your school might be an excellent source. Interview them about the remodeling of the building. Interviewing people about the past is known as Oral History.
Hit the Library
- Finally, go to the public library or historical society and ask to see historic plat maps of the town or countryside where you live. Look to see if you can find your house or school on the map. Also, ask to see if there are any old photos of your school or house on file. The historical society may have a newspaper clipping file about your schoolhouse, when it was built or major renovations.
