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
Wellesley was formed quite late, in 1881, from the town of Needham. Please keep this in mind as you are doing your research. For many local records such as vital records and maps you will need to look in Needham records prior to 1881.
Land Records / Deed Research
Deeds are found at the county level in Massachusetts. Wellesley is in Norfolk County. Deeds for Wellesley, 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 Wellesley, MA Vital Records Online:
- Ancestry.com ($)
- FamilySearch.org (free with account)
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
- MyHeritage.com
Probate Records
Probate records for the town of Wellesley to the 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
Wellesley specific maps (reminder that Wellesley was part of Needham prior to 1881):
- 1794 Plan of Needham by Jonathan Kingsbury (Digital Commonwealth)
- c. 1830 Plan of Newton & Needham (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1831 Plan of Needham by Asa Kingsbury (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1852 Map of Needham by Amanda Kingsbury (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1853 Walling Map of Norfolk County, Massachusetts (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1856 Map of Needham by Henry F. Walling (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1858 Walling Map of Norfolk County, Massachusetts (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1876 Sherman Atlas of Norfolk County, Massachusetts (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1881 Map of the town of Needham, showing the dwelling houses (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1888 Robinson’s Atlas of Norfolk County (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1888 Map of Wellesley from Robinson’s Atlas of Norfolk County (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1896 to 1919 Wellesley Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps (Library of Congress)
- 1897 Atlas of the Town of Wellesley by George W. Stadly (Flickr)
- c. 1926 A Newe Mapp of Wellesley by Elizabeth Paige May (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1935 Atlas of the Town of Wellesley by Gleason Engineering (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1935 Indexed map of Needham and Wellesley by Kenneth A. Lucas (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1940 Map of Wellesley by Gleason Engineering (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1949 Precinct Map of Wellesley (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1971 Map of Wellesley by the Wellesley Planning Board (Digital Commonwealth)
- More Wellesley Maps from Internet Archive
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 digital copies of the Wellesley Townsman Newspaper, 1906 – 2005 – Wellesley Free 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
Wellesley, Massachusetts cemeteries:
- St. Mary’s Cemetery
- Wellesley Congregational Church Cemetery (founded 1700s)
- Woodlawn Cemetery (founded 1882)
Cemetery Information
Photos and Miscellaneous Items
- Wellesley Historical Society
- Wellesley Historical Commission
- Wellesley Historic Plaque Program
- Historic Home Plaque Profiles (these contain the deed history to many houses in Wellesley)
- Wellesley Free Library – History Resources
- Wellesley Free Library – Genealogy Resources
Further Reading
Chandler, Edward Herrick. History of the Wellesley Congregational Church. Boston: Benjamin H. Sanborn & Co., 1898. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/historyofwellesl00chan_0/mode/2up
Clarke, George Kuhn. History of Needham, Massachusetts, 1711-1911. Cambridge, MA: The University Press, 1912. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/historyofneedham01clar
Fiske, Joseph E. History of the town of Wellesley, Massachusetts. Boston: The Pilgrim Press, 1917. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/historyoftownofw00fisk/mode/2up
Hurd, D. Hamilton, History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts. Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1884. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/historyofnorfolk00hurd
Tosiello, Rosario J. A history of the first three families from Northern Italy to settle in the Town of Wellesley. Wellesley Hills, Mass. : Published by The Wellesley Historical Society; Printed by: The Windsor Press, Inc., 1988.
