This page contains most of the resources you will need to research the history of your house. If you are new to house history research, please visit the Get Started section. For a quick overview of the process visit 10 Steps to Researching the History of Your House.
Establishment
Dedham was established as a town in 1636. It is the county seat of Norfolk County.
Land Records / Deed Research
Deeds are found at the county level in Massachusetts. Dedham is in Norfolk County. Deeds for Dedham, Massachusetts are available online in two places:
- The Norfolk County, Massachusetts Registry of Deeds (1793 – present)
- FamilySearch.org (1793-1900) [access with free account]
You can also visit the Registry of Deeds in person.
Norfolk County Registry of Deeds
649 High Street, Dedham, MA 02026
(781) 461-6101
Norfolk County was formed in 1793. The first deed recorded in Norfolk County is dated September 24, 1793. If your house was built before 1794, then you will need to look for the older deeds in the Suffolk County Registry of Deeds.
Census Records (and MA State Census Records)
The most common census records are the US Federal Census Records but Massachusetts also has state census records. Census records help you discover the families that lived in your house. Federal census records are available every 10 years from 1790 to 1950 with the exception of 1890.
U.S Federal Census Records (1790-1950)
Available from:
- Ancestry.com ($) – see if your local library has institutional access free for patrons
- FamilySearch.org (free with account)
- MyHeritage.com ($)
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
- FindMyPast ($)
Massachusetts State Census Records (1855 & 1865)
Available from:
- Ancestry.com ($) – 1855 census and 1865 census
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – 1855 census and 1865 census
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
Vital Records
Vital records provide the details about births, marriages and deaths for the people who previously lived in your house.
Find Dedham, MA Vital Records Online:
- Ancestry.com ($)
- FamilySearch.org (free with account)
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
- MyHeritage.com
- Book – The Records of Births, Marriages and Death in the Town of Dedham, 1635-1845 – (Internet Archive)
Probate Records
Probate records for the town of Dedham, 1793- present, are found in Norfolk County, Massachusetts Probate Court records which are available both online and in-person.
In-person
Norfolk County Probate Court
35 Shawmut Rd, Canton, MA 02021
(781) 830-1200
Check website for hours
Online
- Ancestry.com ($) – Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991 and Norfolk County, MA Probate Index 1793-1900
- AmericanAncestors.org ($) – Norfolk County, MA: Index to Probate records, 1793-1900 and Norfolk County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1793-1900
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – Massachusetts, Norfolk County, probate case files, 1793-1900
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – Probate docket books, and record books (1793-1916) [Norfolk County, Massachusetts]
Preservation Publications
The Massachusetts Historical Commission provides access to historic building surveys at is website MACRIS: Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS). Once at the site, search specifically by town. You can refine by address and historic name.
Maps
Dedham specific maps:
- 1795 Plan of Dedham by Elijah Pond (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1831 Plan of Dedham by John G. Hales (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1851 Map of the Town of Dedham by N. Smith Jr. (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1853 Walling Map of Norfolk County, Massachusetts (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1858 Walling Map of Norfolk County, Massachusetts (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1876 Sherman Atlas of Norfolk County, Massachusetts (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1876 Bird’s Eye View of Dedham by Edwin Whitefield (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1880s Map of Dedham by the Massachusetts State Planning Board (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1888 Robinson’s Atlas of Norfolk County (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1885 – 1917 Dedham Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps (Library of Congress)
- 1934 The townships of Dedham, Westwood, Needham, Dover, Sherborn, Norwood, Medfield, Millis, Walpole, Norfolk, Massachusetts by Dwight Shepler (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1954 Town of Dedham Map by Ernest Dudley Chase (Digital Commonwealth)
Maps are also available online from many website such as:
- Ancestry.com ($)
- Hathi Trust,
- David Rumsey Map Collection,
- Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library
- The Library of Congress
- Digital Commonwealth
- Internet Archive
City Directories & Residents Lists
City Directories were typically published every year. Because of that they are great for filling in the gaps between the 10 year spread of census records. They are also helpful to identify when people move from place to place.
City Directories are available online at the major database sites like Ancestry.com ($), MyHeritage.com ($) and FamilySearch.org. They are also found in local libraries and archives.
Tax Records
Tax records provide the value of property through the years. These can be a great indicator of when changes were made to a property. Check your local library, Town Hall or Archive.org for Town Annual Reports which contain the tax records.
Newspapers
Many old newspapers are available online through Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com, AmericanAncestors.org, GenealogyBank.com, Newspapers.com, OldNews.com, the Boston Public Library, the American Antiquarian Society (Worcester, MA), Community History Archives. The Ancestor Hunt website is also great for finding more newspaper resources.
Cemetery Information
Dedham, Massachusetts cemeteries:
- Brookdale Cemetery (founded 1890)
- Old Village Cemetery (founded 1640)
Cemetery Information
Local Resources
- Dedham Museum & Archive
- Town of Dedham – Historic Preservation
- Dedham Historical Commission
- Dedham Tales by James L. Parr
Further Reading
Austin, Walter. Tale of a Dedham Tavern: History of the Norfolk Hotel, Dedham, Massachusetts. Cambridge, Mass.: Riverside Press, 1912. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/taleofdedhamtave00aust_1/page/n7/mode/2up
Hanson, Robert Brand. Dedham, Massachusetts, 1635-1890. Dedham, Mass.: Dedham Historical Society, 1976.
Dedham Historical Society. Dedham (Images of America series). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishers, 2001.
Hurd, D. Hamilton, History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts. Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1884. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/historyofnorfolk00hurd
Kelleher, Nancy. History of Dedham, Massachusetts. Dedham, Mass. [ ? ], 1986.
Neiswander, Judith A. Mother Brook and the Mills of East Dedham. Framingham, MA: Damianos Publishing, 2024.
Parr, James L. Dedham: Historic and Heroic Tales from Shiretown. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishers, 2009.
Smith, Frank. A History of Dedham, Massachusetts. Dedham, Mass.: The Transcript Press Inc, 1936. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/historyofdedhamm00smit/mode/2up
Tritsch, Electa Kane. Building Dedham: Celebrating 350 Years of History. Dedham, Mass.: Dedham Historical Society, 1986.
Worthington, Erastus. The History of Dedham: from the beginning of its settlement, in September 1635, to May 1827. Boston: Dutton and Wentworth, 1827. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/historyofdedhamf00worth/page/n3/mode/2up
