Have you ever looked around your home and wondered who else has enjoyed the beautiful view from that kitchen window or warmed up to that cozy fireplace? Unless you have lived there since the house was built, you might only know the names of the people who sold it to you or your family.  

There are several resources that can help you uncover the history of your home, and not just about who previously owned or occupied the house. You may also be able to research who owned the land before it was developed, when and for what price your house was built, the architect and specific house style, if it’s part of a historic district, and when major additions or renovations were completed, among many other fascinating tidbits.

Perhaps you want to find out

Few neighborhoods in the Madison area offer the variety of homes that appear in the Nakoma Historic District, where one of our newest listings is located.

Among the hilly, curvilinear streets just west of the UW-Arboretum you’ll find numerous Tudor Revival and Colonial Revival styles as well as a smattering of Mediterranean Revival, Norman Revival, Dutch Colonial, French Provincial, Arts and Crafts, Prairie School, Craftsman Bungalow, Modern, and International styles.

Some of the best local architectural firms of the 20th century, including Henry Dysland and Law, Law, and Potter, designed these homes, which were built between 1915-1946. This time period was one of immense growth and greater mobility in Madison from streetcars to automobiles,

At the turn of the 20th century, many new house styles emerged in America in opposition to the ornate, Victorian influences from Europe. Through the Arts and Crafts movement, Craftsman style homes were built to be more simplistic and to incorporate quality, natural materials like stone and wood. Frank Lloyd Wright also created the Prairie style of “organic architecture” during this time, with lower profile buildings that blended into the landscape and utilized sunlight. This movement made its way to Madison in the early 1900s, and Craftsman-progressive-prairie styles account for a third of the houses in the Sherman Avenue and Orton Park historic districts, for example.

Nearly 100 years later, Craftsman homes have edged out ranch homes for the most

Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) gets a lot of attention -- and deservedly so -- for the mid-century modern homes and buildings he's designed in the Madison area. But less than 8 years after he attended civil engineering classes at UW-Madison, so did another "Frank" who would also become a prominent 20th century architect in a much different style.

Perhaps best known for designing what is now the Governor's Mansion and several other Period Revival homes in Maple Bluff, Frank Morris Riley (1875-1949) helped shape the look and feel of many of Madison's premier neighborhoods, including University Heights, Nakoma, Shorewood Hills, and along Sherman Avenue and Wingra Park. He also designed the Brittingham House in the Highlands, which is now the official

More surprises are revealed with every step you take on the property at 21 State St. Mazomanie, from gardens and a pergola to the mix of wooded and open land beyond the creek. Also tucked behind the stunning 1865 Victorian Italianate home is an old carriage house that has been skillfully converted to a second home.

Built in 1909, the barn had been turned into an art studio in the 1980s. Then while Dave and Karisa Friske were in the process of restoring the main residence into a bed and breakfast in the early 2000s, they also chipped away at converting the adjacent structure into their family's living quarters while retaining its essence.

"It had electricity, it had a furnace, but the upstairs was a barn ... and there was no running water," Karisa

Each house has a story to tell, but 21 State St., Mazomanie has many. So sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Built in 1865 along the Black Earth Creek, this Victorian Italianate home is filled with history and character, from its original ornamental plaster on the ceiling of the front parlor to its walnut curved staircase in the foyer.

Photographs of the property and its former inhabitants throughout the 19th and 20th centuries are framed throughout the residence as a nod to the past.

That includes Dave and Karisa Friske, who last purchased the home in 1996 and spent over a decade magnificently restoring it room by room in what is now a functioning bed and breakfast. They have also turned the adjacent carriage house built in 1909 into their

From patching and painting to wallpapering and drywalling, Mike and Dianna McMaster have been busy updating the interior of their nearly 2,000-square-foot farm house at 501 Muller Road in the town of York over the last 15 years.

While they are ready to downsize, it will be tough for them (and their grown kids and younger grandchildren) to say goodbye.

"Being that we did most of it ourselves, it's a lot of blood, sweat and tears," Dianna said. "It's a house that we will definitely miss."

Built nearly a century ago in a nearby town, this 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom house in northeastern Dane County just hit the market, featuring plenty of updates and stunning countryside views.

Main level

The biggest change came with the addition above

On a country road between Hwys. 73 and 89 in northeastern Dane County is a beautiful farm house looking for someone new to call it home.

Situated in a hill overlooking 17 acres of woods, fields, a creek, and multiple outbuildings, the property at 501 Muller Road in the town of York is sure to catch your eye -- especially with its gray exterior set off by a white wraparound porch and balcony.

But that's not what it looked like -- or where it was -- when it was built nearly a century ago.

Home sellers Dianna and Mike McMaster share their story of saving, relocating, and updating this special Sears kit house, which has "great bones" and tons of character.

Relocation

Up until 2001, the house had been located on Egre Road in the town of

Bordered by a bike trail, golf course, Mineral Point Road and South Midvale Boulevard is a near westside Madison neighborhood filled with historic architecture.

Westmorland features an assortment of home styles dating from the 1860s to 1950s. Within a few block radius is a barn that has been converted into a house, a Frank Lloyd Wright prototype and other mid-century moderns, classic Cape Cods, Tudor revival and International styles, Sears catalog homes and a few made of steel.

The Westmorland Neighborhood Association -- the fourth oldest in Madison -- produced a video promoting its oral history book and described Westmorland as a "microcosm reflecting Midwestern America's progress throughout the 20th century."

That statement certainly

Just about 150 years ago, Frank Lloyd Wright was born right here in Wisconsin. He went on to become a renowned architect, and many of his unique homes and buildings can be found in Madison. His belief that structures should be designed in harmony with the environment influenced other architects to adopt a "modern" style after World War II.

Many of these mid-century modern homes were built from the 1940s-60s, with an emphasis on being open and functional. They can often be identified by their flatter roofs, asymmetrical exterior and large windows that make nature the focal point.

The mid-century modern style has gained popularity in the housing market in recent years, and there are quite a few scattered throughout the Madison area - especially on