How old is your house? Who built your house? Who were the first residents? What style is your house and what did it look like when it was new?  The BHS Reference Librarian will research your property at a variety of locations, including BHS, Brooklyn Public Library, NYC Department of Buildings and the Department of Finance, and the NYC Municipal Archives, to help answer some, if not all, of these questions.  The certified document can include when it was built, architect, information about previous owners, historic photographs of the home, and historic maps of the area.  Please note that some homes might be more difficult than others to research.