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. These guides are also great for local historians and genealogists.
Establishment
Grafton was formed in 1735. The area was originally settled in 1718.
Land Records / Deed Research
Deeds are found at the county level in Massachusetts. Grafton is in Worcester County. Deeds for Grafton, Massachusetts are available online in two places:
- The Worcester County, Massachusetts Registry of Deeds (1731 – present)
- FamilySearch.org (1731-1865) [access with free account]
All Worcester County deeds are available online. If you visit the Worcester Registry of Deeds in person, you will only have access to the deeds on computers. They no longer provide access to the deed books.
Worcester County Registry of Deeds
90 Front Street, Worcester, MA 01608, Suite C201
(508) 368-7000
Worcester County was formed in 1731. If your house was built before 1731, then you will need to look for the older deeds in the Suffolk County Registry of Deeds or the Middlesex 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 ($)
- FindMyPast ($)
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 ($)
Vital Records
Vital records provide the details about births, marriages and deaths for the people who previously lived in your house.
Find Grafton, MA Vital Records Online:
- Ancestry.com ($)
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
- MyHeritage.com
- Book – Vital Records of Grafton, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849 (Internet Archive)
Probate Records
Probate records for the town of Grafton are found in Worcester County, Massachusetts Probate Court records (1731-present) which are available both online and in-person.
In-person
Worcester County Probate Court
225 Main Street, Worcester, MA 02021 01608
(508) 831-2200
Check website for hours
Online
- Ancestry.com ($) – Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991
- AmericanAncestors.org ($) – Worcester County, MA: Index to Probate records, 1731-1881 and Worcester County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1731-1881
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – Massachusetts, Worcester County, probate case files, 1731-1925
Preservation Publications
The Massachusetts Historical Commission provides access to historic building surveys at is website MACRIS: Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS). Once at the site, search specifically by town. You can refine by address and historic name.
Maps
Historic Maps of Grafton:
- 1795 Plan of Grafton (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1857 Map of Worcester County, Massachusetts (Library of Congress)
- 1857 Map of Worcester County, Massachusetts (Yale University Library)
- 1870 Atlas of Worcester County (Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center)
- 1887 Aerial View of Grafton (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1898 Atlas of Worcester County (Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center)
- 1885 – 1922 Grafton Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps (Library of Congress)
Maps are also available online from many website such as:
- Ancestry.com ($)
- 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
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
Grafton, Massachusetts cemeteries:
- Fairview Cemetery
- Old Farnumsville Cemetery
- Old Oak Street Burial Ground
- Pine Grove Cemetery
- Riverside Cemetery
- Saint Philips Catholic Cemetery
Cemetery Information
Local Resources
- Grafton Historical Society
- Facebook – Grafton Historical Society
- Grafton Historical Commission
- YouTube – History of Grafton MA
Further Reading
250th Anniversary Committee. Grafton, Massachusetts, History in Review: commemorating the 250th anniversary of incorporation, 1735-1985. Grafton, MA: The Committee, 1985.
Casey, Linda Marean and the Grafton Historical Society. Grafton (Images of America series). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2016.
Hurd, D. Hamilton, History of Worcester County, Massachusetts: with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men.. Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1889. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/historyofworcest02hurd/page/n3/mode/2up
Nason, Rev. Elias. A Gazetteer of the State of Massachusetts. Boston: B. Russell, 1890. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/gazetteerofstate00naso/page/n5/mode/2up
Pierce, Frederick Clifton. History of Grafton, Worcester County, Massachusetts: from its early settlement by the Indians in 1647 to the present time, 1879. Worcester: Press of Chas. Hamilton, 1879. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/historyofgrafton00pier_0/page/n11/mode/2up
