Heritage Genealogy Corner

03/04/2026

03/04/2026

Had fun with this one. This mid 1920s young man looked so micheievous that I had to lean into it!

03/04/2026

Before & After ~ Extreme Edition. The reconstructed John Crump House.

The before photo (courtesy of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation) was taken c. 1895. It shows the 18th-century John Crump House in Williamsburg, VA, in an advanced state of disrepair. In the early 20th century, the building collapsed or was torn down. As part of the Colonial Williamsburg restoration (which started in 1928), it was reconstructed in 1941-42.

The reconstruction was based on physical evidence recovered through archaeology and documentary evidence, including this before photo. The archaeology also uncovered a portion of an earlier foundation, likely dating to 1719, which nearly led to the house being reconstructed in the wrong location. Plans were corrected when this photo was located and showed the location clearly not on the earlier foundation.

Few of us will ever reconstruct an entire historic building, but sometimes, reconstructing missing portions of a historic house is part of a restoration project. The research and planning for reconstructing the long-demolished woodshed and carriage house at Whitten House in Maine are an example project in Chapter 3 of "Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners."

Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our online shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.

Our shop also carries select preservation and restoration titles by other authors. Save on cost and shipping with our multi-book combo packs!

© Scott T. Hanson 2026.

03/03/2026

Easter is a little over a month away. What do you think of these vintage Easter Bunny costumes. I think the kids are handling it pretty well considering how scary they look.

03/03/2026

Of the AI videos I've done so far, this one seems like the most closely true to life. And what an amazing relationship to have with your dog to make this successful!

03/03/2026

True story!

03/03/2026

https://genealogybargains.com/from-one-fish-two-fish/ You have one name. You have two. Did your ancestors change theirs too? 🤔🌳

On Dr. Seuss Day (March 2!) we celebrate Theodor Seuss Geisel — a proud son of German immigrants who kept his family name bright and bold. 🎩🇩🇪

But what about your family tree?

Did your Schmidt turn into Smith?
Did Kowalczyk shrink down to Cole?
Did Wojciechowski wander off and come back as Wayne?

In genealogy and family history research, name changes are one of the BIGGEST brick walls. Ellis Island didn’t do it (nope, that’s a myth!) — most immigrant ancestors changed names later to blend in, get jobs, and avoid discrimination.

In my latest Genealogy Bargains article, I share practical ancestry research tips:
✨ How to search phonetically using Soundex
✨ Why naturalization papers are gold
✨ How church records reveal original names
✨ Smart wildcard searches on Ancestry & FamilySearch

So on National Reading Day, read Oh, the Places You’ll Go!…
Then ask yourself:

Oh, the names they might have changed — Oh, the records you can rearrange! 📜🔎