Research

nWhile we are always happy to help with research inquiries, may of those requests are for property-specific information. As a volunteer organization we are not able to provide that type assistance so please refer to the PROPERTY SEARCH GUIDELINES & LINKS below.

How to Research & Date Your Historic Property

  1. To begin the research, you will need to know the lot number or permanent parcel number. You can get that either from your deed, property tax records, or at the Tax Maps Office at the County Administration Building, 144 N. Broadway. There is tax information on all taxable properties, along with the date of construction, at the County Auditor’s office, though the date given is often incorrect. It is better to proceed with your own research. On the Auditor’s website, www.medinacountyauditor.org under Tax Maps there is additional info and tutorial How to look at Old Tax Maps that list owners.
  2.  It is helpful to get a drawing or copy of your property at the Tax Maps office so that you have a visual of the property as you do your research. Property lines and numbers have changed over the years. There are also early plat maps in the Recorder’s Office. The Medina County Historical Society and Medina District Library have 1897 and 1874 atlases with township and village maps with property owners’ names. All of these resources can help you in the research process.
  3.  The next step is to research the property in the County Recorder’s Office, located in the lower level of the Administration Building. The most recent transactions on the property are on the computers and accessed by permanent parcel number. You should be able to pick up all deed transfers from the current date back to perhaps 30 years. Begin with the current landowner, find who they bought the property from, and continue the process back until there are no more deed records for that property. The Recorder’s Office staff can help you.
  4.  You will then need to go to the Sectional Indexes to continue the process. First look for the book containing lots from your township or community (such as Montville Township Lot 44). Find the deed transfer that corresponds to the information you got on the computer, then continue tracing the grantor/grantee names back until you have a clear chain of ownership. Write down the volume and page of the deed so that you can check the deed itself for its property description and any other helpful information. Sometimes you can date a house if the property changes hands within a couple of years of each other, and the consideration or price paid is much higher.
  5. Once you have a list of all the owners and the dates that they owned the property, you can go to the Medina County Historical Society at 206 N. Elmwood Street to look at the original tax duplicates. They are by year, then by township or community, then alphabetically by property owner name. Trace your owners, according to the dates they owned it. For example, year 1865; Montville Township Lot 44, Joe Smith. In some cases, the valuation for land and buildings is separate, which makes it easy to determine the date of the building when one year there is no building and the next year there is a building. If the land and building evaluations are not separate, you will be looking for a sudden jump in property value. Usually, it took one year for a new building to appear on the tax records, so it is likely your building was built the year before it appeared in the records.
  6. For additional research, you may want to go to the Medina County District Library in Medina and check their obituary file for your property owners’ names. There are also printed county histories with separate indexes that may give you more information about the people available at both the library and the Medina County Historical Society. A volunteer at Medina County Historical Society may be able to assist. Contact MCHS at [email protected] or call 330-722-1341.

YOUR SUPPORT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED

Our operations are funded by donations, memberships, and fundraisers. Donations to our general fund allow us to continue to fulfill our mission, provide programs, exhibits, and research assistance to the community. They allow us to continue to care for our large collection of historical artifacts and archival materials that tell the story of Medina County and to care for our museums; The John Smart House Museum and now the McDowell-Phillips house. Thank you for your support! 
The Historical Society is a 501c3 organization, and donations may be deductible. Artifact donations may also be tax deductible based on an appraisal obtained by the donor.

OUR MISSION

This Society was formed in and incorporated by the State of Ohio in 1922 for the purpose of:
  • Promoting all areas of historical interest through public education programs
  • Acquiring items of historical interest pertaining to Medina County that relate to and tell its story
  • Maintaining and preserving the items in its collection for display and research
  • Promoting the preservation of public and private records, buildings and customs of its citizens. 

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT!

Medina County has a specialty license plate available through the Ohio BMV that will benefit local historical societies in the county. Please think of us when purchasing your plates in person or online.
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​$15 contribution + $10 BMV = $25/yr. in addition to your standard tag renewal fee.