While trying to find the history of a residence can be very difficult there are some things you can do at the Los Angeles Public library to start such a search.

1. Get legal description and parcel number of property at L.A. County Assessor in the Hall of Administration, 500 W. Temple Room, 225.
   e-mail assessor@co.la.ca.us
    
2. Find original construction date on building permit at Los Angeles City Building and Safety Department - Construction Services Center, 201 N. Figueroa 4 th floor.
   (888) LA4-BUILD
     
3. Building permit may give name of Contractor, Architect, and original owner.
    
4. If there is no building permit go back to Los Angeles County Assessor to find year of construction and name of original owner.
    
5. If you find owner’s names you can check California Death Index in the History department , then try local newspapers for death notices or in rare circumstances an obituary. For death outside the death index you can try county probate records at LA County Hall of Records, Room 212.
    
6. Check LAPL History department, California Subject and Biography Indexes for those names associated with property.
    
7. Sanborn Atlases and Maps in History department may show original structure. These are available online with a LAPL library card.
    
8. Street Names of Los Angeles by Bernice Kimball at the reference desk may clarify street name changes.
    
9. Local Historical societies often provide direction and sometimes undertake the searches for a fee (see Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society).
   The Los Angeles Conservancy has a very good website on preserving historical properties. See Windsor square, Hancock Park Historical Society, etc…
    
10. Los Angeles City Directories (early years 1900-1905 have reverse directories) can verify addresses and residents.
     
11. U.S. Census records are available up to 1930 that will identify residents at an address.
     
12. Check for owners names in Los Angeles Times Historical database at lapl.org/ databases/ newspapers/ LA Times Historical database.
     
13. For questions or projects that are too complex or time-consuming a list of available researchers is available at the History desk at Central library.

Much, much more is available in the History department vertical file entitled Property Tracing.