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
Falmouth was formed in 1686 from the town of Barnstable.
Land Records / Deed Research
Deeds are found at the county level in Massachusetts. Falmouth is in Barnstable County. Deeds for Falmouth, Massachusetts are available online in two places:
- The Barnstable, Massachusetts Registry of Deeds (1742 – present)
- FamilySearch.org (1793-1900) [access with free account]
You can also visit the Registry of Deeds in person.
Barnstable County Registry of Deeds
3195 Main Street P.O. Box 368, Barnstable, MA 02630
(508) 362-7733
Barnstable County was formed in 1685.
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 ($)
- FindMyPast ($)
Agriculture and Manufacturing Censuses 1850-1880
These were called Federal Census Non-Population Schedules. They provided detailed descriptions of farms and manufacturing businesses. These are available on Ancestry.com ($).
Massachusetts State Census Records (1855 & 1865)
Available from:
- Ancestry.com ($) – 1855 census and 1865 census
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – 1855 census and 1865 census
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
Vital Records
Vital records provide the details about births, marriages and deaths for the people who previously lived in your house.
Find Falmouth, MA Vital Records Online:
- Ancestry.com ($)
- FamilySearch.org (free with account)
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
- MyHeritage.com
- Book – Falmouth, Massachusetts Birth, Marriage, Death listings 1872-1987 (Internet Archive)
- Book – Vital records of Falmouth, Massachusetts to the year 1850 (Internet Archive)
Probate Records
Probate records for the town of Falmouth are found in Barnstable County, Massachusetts Probate Court records which are available both online and in-person.
In-person
Barnstable County Probate Court
3195 Main Street, Barnstable, MA 02630
(508) 375 6710
Check website for hours
Online
- Ancestry.com ($) – Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991
- AmericanAncestors.org ($) – Barnstable, MA: Probate Records 1685-1789
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – Barnstable County Probate and Guardianship Records, 1674-1950 [View from a FamilySearch affiliate library]
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – Barnstable County Probate Records, 1686-1894 [View from a FamilySearch affiliate library]
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – Wills, inventories, etc, 1637 to 1685, County of Barnstable [View from a FamilySearch affiliate library]
- You can also search FamilySearch.org Full-text Search and narrow down by Barnstable County [View from a FamilySearch affiliate library]
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
Historic Maps of Falmouth:
- c. 1770-1779 Falmouth Harbour by Joseph F.W. Des Barres
- 1775 Falmouth Neck by William Willis [created in 1831] (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1795 Plan of Falmouth (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1831 plan of Falmouth by John G. Hales (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1841 Plan of Falmouth by Jesse Boyden (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1858 Map of the counties of Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket, Massachusetts (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1871 Map of Barnstable County, Dukes County and Nantucket Island, Massachusetts by Henry F. Walling (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1873 Plan of Falmouth Heights by E. Boyden & Son (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1880 Town of Falmouth and Village of Falmouth (Ancestry.com)
- 1880 West Falmouth Village, Falmouth Village and North Falmouth (Ancestry.com)
- 1887 Woods Hole, Falmouth by Geo. H. Walker (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1891 Atlas of Massachusetts by Geo H. Walker [Not all pages are digitized] (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1905 Falmouth Map Index and Map of Quisset (Ancestry.com)
- 1905 Chapaquoit, “Part” of Falmouth (Jones Road area) and Falmouth Heights (Ancestry.com)
- 1905 Coonemesset and Racing Beach sections of Falmouth (Ancestry.com)
- 1905 Falmouth Village (Ancestry.com)
- 1905 Waquoit, East Falmouth, West Falmouth and North Falmouth (Ancestry.com)
- 1910 Atlas of Barnstable County by Walker Lith. & Pub. Co. (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1902-1923 Falmouth Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps (Library of Congress)
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
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
View the Falmouth Enterprise and the Cape Cod Independent from the Falmouth Public Library
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
Falmouth, Massachusetts cemeteries:
- Bay View Cemetery
- Crowell Cemetery
- Davisville Cemetery
- East End Burying Ground
- Falmouth Jewish Cemetery
- Falmouth Old Burying Ground
- Friends Ancient Cemetery
- Methodist Society Burying Ground
- North Falmouth Burying Ground
- Oak Grove Cemetery
- Robinson Cemetery (private)
- Saint Anthony Catholic Cemetery
- Saint Barnabas Memorial Garden
- Saint Joseph Cemetery
- West Falmouth Friends Cemetery
- Woods Hole Village Cemetery
Cemetery Information
Local Resources
- Falmouth Historical Society: Museums on the Green – exhibits, walking tours, archives and much more!
- YouTube – Falmouth Historical Society/Museums on the Green
- Falmouth Genealogical Society – Lots of resources
- Falmouth Public Library Special Collections – including genealogy and local history
- YouTube – Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth Oral Histories
- West Falmouth Library Archives
- Falmouth Historical Commission
- Falmouth Historic District Maps
- Cape Cod Genealogical Society
- Town of Falmouth Annual Reports (Internet Archive)
Further Reading
Barbo, Theresa Mitchell. Hidden History of Cape Cod. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2015.
Cierici, Paul C. History of the Falmouth Road Race: Running Cape Cod. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2015.
Deyo, Simeon L. History of Barnstable County, Massachusetts. Salem, Mass.: Higginson Book Company, 1890. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/historyofbarnsta00deyo/page/n5/mode/2up
Falmouth Historical Society. Falmouth (Images of America series). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2009.
Falmouth Historical Society. Legendary Locals of Falmouth. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2013.
Jenkins, Candace. Between the Forest and the Bay: A History of West Falmouth as Revealed in Its Historic Buildings and Landscapes. Falmouth, MA: Salt Pond Areas Bird Sanctuaries Inc, 2018
Sears, Ann and Nancy Kougeas. Falmouth (Images of America series). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2002.
Sheehy, Elizabeth Heslop and Sara Piccini. A Home in Woods Hole: Life and History on Eel Pond. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2024.
Smith, Kevin F. The History of Falmouth Heights Through the Years. Falmouth, Mass.: K.F. Smith, 1982.
Turkington, Fred. Quakers in West Falmouth, 1685-1985. West Falmouth, MA: West Falmuth Friends Meeting, 1985.
White, Lewis A. Sopas: A Brief History of Portuguese Islanders, the Cape Cod Town of Falmouth, and the Feast of the Holy Ghost. Falmouth, MA: Amerazor, 2012.
