House History Guide for Westminster, Massachusetts

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

The town of Westminster was first settled in 1737 and formed as a district in 1759 and then an incorporated town in 1770.

Land Records / Deed Research

Deeds are found at the county level in Massachusetts. Westminster is in Worcester County. Deeds for Westminster, Massachusetts are available online in two places:

  1. The Worcester County, Massachusetts Northern Registry of Deeds (1844 – present)
  2. FamilySearch.org (1731-1865) [access with free account]

The Worcester County Registry of Deed Northern District was formed in 1844. Prior to that search the Worcester County Registry of Deeds in Worcester.

Index Books
1869-1975 Grantor Indexes
1896-1982- Grantee Indexes
Prior to these dates you can use the indexes on FamilySearch.org or (before 1844) at the Worcester Registry of Deeds

Worcester County Registry of Deeds
166 Boulder Drive, Suite 202, Fitchburg, MA 01420
(978) 342-2132

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:

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:

Vital Records

Vital records provide the details about births, marriages and deaths for the people who previously lived in your house.

Find Westminster, MA Vital Records Online:

Probate Records

Probate records for the town of Westminster 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

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 Westminster:

Maps are also available online from many website such as:

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

Westminster, Massachusetts cemeteries:

  • Mount Pleasant Cemetery
  • Whitmanville Cemetery
  • Woodside Cemetery

Cemetery Information

Local Resources

Further Reading

Celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the incorporation of Westminster, Mass. Boston: T.R. Marvin & Son, 1859. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/celebrationofone00west/page/n5/mode/2up

Heywood, William S. History of Westminster, Massachusetts, 1728-1893. Lowell, MA: S.W. Huse & Co., 1893. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/historyofwestmin00heyw/page/n5/mode/2up

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

Tolman, Newton F., editor. A History of Westminster Massachusetts. Peterborough, NH: Richard R. Smith, 1961. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/historyofwestmin00unse/page/n5/mode/2up

Westminster Historical Society. Century of Education in the Westminster Area. Westminster, MA: Westminster Historical Society, 1993.

Westminster Historical Society. Westminster (Images of America series). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2001.

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