Resources for House Historians - Some Really Useful Help
Here you will find even more links to online resources to help you Trace your House History
HISTORY OF YOUR AMERICAN HOUSE - GENERAL HELP
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Most States and many towns or county's have produced free guides to help you trace the history of your house. We have listed them so click here to go to American Local Guides
A great site to start with is My house history House Histories: A Guide to Tracing the Genealogy of Your Home by Sally Light The Genealogy of your House - who lived there provides some excellent advice. Discovering the History of Your House and Your Neighborhood by Betsy J Green Beginner’s Guide to Tracing Your House’s History. A great blog with lots of interesting hints and tips about Jen's personal journey into house history A must read if you are to start tracing the history of your house in the U.S House style guide to the American House. A useful and excellent guide to the various house types to be found in North America Kansas State Historical Society House History Checklist
A checklist of places and things to look for when researching the history of a house and so does The Secrets To A Great House History by MARFY GOODSPEED Denver Public Library Building Histories Tutorial A detailed tutorial on how to research building and house histories, specifically for Denver, but useful information for all. Smithsonian Institute site - Within these walls is a fascinating story of a house that stood for 200 years, at 16 Elm Street in the centre of Ipswich, Massachusetts. The house was built in the 1760s and several families moved in and out in the first half of the 20th century. HistoricPreservation.com Historic Preservation.com is an invitation-only, human-curated, online marketplace and specification platform comprised of and developed for buyers, sellers, and specifiers of high quality Historic Preservation and Restoration related products and services. This Old House This is your source for expert advice on home improvement, remodelling and decorating. From America's first and favorite home improvement series. OldStoneHouses.com This blog is dedicated to telling stories about old stone homes and cottages Retracing the Trails of Your Ancestors Using Deed Records by William Dollarhid |
Model tenement New York 68th & 69th
Dont forget our blogs that might help your research
Quick Links on this page
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GENERAL AMERICAN HOUSE HISTORY WEBSITES
FIND My PAST AND ANCESTRY.com are paid for sites with an abundance of databases for searching former owners of your home.
Genealogy.com a wide range of local family histories.
The USGenWeb Project is a group of volunteers working together to provide free genealogy websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States.
Hooked on Houses
If you love watchinbg or doing house improvements or just like looking at old houses this is the site for you.
Captivating Houses
A site specially created for those who are captivated by old houses,Browse, indulge, and fall in love with your dream home!
Genealogy.com a wide range of local family histories.
The USGenWeb Project is a group of volunteers working together to provide free genealogy websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States.
Hooked on Houses
If you love watchinbg or doing house improvements or just like looking at old houses this is the site for you.
Captivating Houses
A site specially created for those who are captivated by old houses,Browse, indulge, and fall in love with your dream home!
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PRESERVING OLD AMERICAN HOUSES
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
The Victorian Society in America -National non-profit organization committed to historic preservation, protection, understanding, education, and enjoyment of our nineteenth century heritage.
Preserve and Protect - not-for-profit corporation providing space on the World Wide Web for Historic Preservation and Environmental Protection Organizations
Heritage Preservation - For over a quarter century, Heritage Preservation has been working to ensure the preservation of America's collections for present and future generations.
National Alliance of Preservation Commissions - The NAPC is the only organization devoted solely to representing the nation's preservation design review commissions.
The Craftsman Blog Tutorials and plenty of articles about historic home repair, style and life. It's geared toward empowering and teaching homeowners how to care for and maintain their historic homes.
The Life of Old Houses: A Blog This blog is about life in old houses, and how these houses and other historic buildings shape society.
Old House Guy Restoration stories and advice from someone who has done plenty of them.
World of Old Houses If you are buying, selling,preserving,restorating or just enjoying old houses - look here
Search world records at findmypast.co
The Historic District. A group of long time restoration enthusiasts and old home owners who got together and started a new forum
MAPS FOR THE AMERICAN HOUSE HISTORIAN
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Article about how Wisconsin Historical Society’s Uses Sanborn Maps to research old buildings
Discovering Your Neighborhood How to Use National Archives Records to Find Out More about Where You Live Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection Library of Congress map collection The Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress holds more than 4.5 million items, of which Map Collections represents only a small fraction, those that have been converted to digital form can be found here. |
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Fire Insurance Maps: Thousands of maps made for fire insurance companies give details of cities and towns across the country.
Geological and Topographic Maps: The USGS offers digital geological and topographical maps and land surveys since 1884,. The maps provide a basis to compare changes over time.
Geological and Topographic Maps: The USGS offers digital geological and topographical maps and land surveys since 1884,. The maps provide a basis to compare changes over time.
CENSUS FOR THE AMERICAN HOUSE HISTORIAN
A general census database with historical maps, census records, and links to other sources of information. This database does not list every city in every state, but most major cities are listed and quite a few smaller cities are, as well. Maps date as far back as 1865.
AccessGenealogy has links to census
Census online also links to U.S census
Your Guide to Finding and Using U.S. Census Records is a helpful guide
An interesting look at how the census was compiled in the US: "Who Talked to the Census Taker?" by Claire Kluskens, from her site The Twelve Key. (covers 1790-1870) twelvekey.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/ngsmag…
A great site offering lots of good advice on the census is Our Public Records
Discover what life was like for your ancestors in US newspapers at findmypast.co
Census Data: Search through census records from 1790 to 1940 with Family Search Contains birth places and dates, family information, marriage statuses, occupations, and street addresses.
Census Records: The National Archives maintain census records that include information about families and where they resided.
About Census Records: Useful background to the census records
United States Census Records: Find full, free information from census records collected all over the country here.
AccessGenealogy has links to census
Census online also links to U.S census
Your Guide to Finding and Using U.S. Census Records is a helpful guide
An interesting look at how the census was compiled in the US: "Who Talked to the Census Taker?" by Claire Kluskens, from her site The Twelve Key. (covers 1790-1870) twelvekey.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/ngsmag…
A great site offering lots of good advice on the census is Our Public Records
Discover what life was like for your ancestors in US newspapers at findmypast.co
Census Data: Search through census records from 1790 to 1940 with Family Search Contains birth places and dates, family information, marriage statuses, occupations, and street addresses.
Census Records: The National Archives maintain census records that include information about families and where they resided.
About Census Records: Useful background to the census records
United States Census Records: Find full, free information from census records collected all over the country here.
HISTORIC AMERICAN HOUSES
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University of Maryland
House museums- House visits National Endowment for the Humanities At National Endowment for the Humanities you can exchange family stories, explore America's past, and make your story part of the nation's story. You can also create or locate a family tree, search American history files, and learn how to save family treasures such as photographs and diaries. Go back in time A partially reconstructed house that stood for 200 years at 16 Elm Street in Ipswich, Massachusetts ,The house and the exhibition that surrounds it tell the stories of five families who lived there over the years and made history in their kitchens and parlors, through everyday choices and personal acts of courage and sacrifice. Through their lives, the exhibition explores some of the important ways ordinary people have been part of the great changes and events in American history. |
Victorian House in Brunswick, Maine |
Old House Tours
John Werry travels across the US discovering beautiful historic homes by photo and video and encourages fellow historic home lovers to send in their own pictures of their favorite old houses.
Holleywood Lakeville, Connecticut
This fabulous old estate on a lake was built in 1853 by the Governor of Connecticut. Its brick and stucco construction includes a four-story octagonal turret. It was in one family for 158 years until we bought it in March 2011 and began to restore it.
Enos Kellogg Homestead Norwalk, Connecticut
A sporadic recounting of our efforts to restore a c.1784 New England saltbox in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Historic Edwards Place, c. 1857 Springfield, Illinois
Historic Edwards Place was built in 1833 and enlarged in 1857. The Springfield Art Association is undertaking a full-scale interior restoration to its c. 1860 appearance.
Full Restoration/Reno of vacant home in Detroit with original 1920s Japanese rock garden Detroit, Michigan
Vacant for over 5 years, this beautiful 1927 Tudor had become damaged due to burst water pipes. Break-ins, wild animals, and years of neglect left this home in shambles, but a young couple have nearly completed a full restoration/renovation of the space. They have documented the home's history, rebuilt curved ceilings, and restored the home to its former glory!
Elba Farm House Lapeer, Michigan
History, renovation, and daily life in an old Elba Township farmhouse.
Oak Haven Farm Cedar Brook, New Jersey
House Margaret Woodbury, New Jersey
An effort to highlight the ups and downs of historic preservation and restoration of the once grand city of Woodbury, NJ and the Colonial and Victorian era houses that make up its many stories.
John Werry travels across the US discovering beautiful historic homes by photo and video and encourages fellow historic home lovers to send in their own pictures of their favorite old houses.
Holleywood Lakeville, Connecticut
This fabulous old estate on a lake was built in 1853 by the Governor of Connecticut. Its brick and stucco construction includes a four-story octagonal turret. It was in one family for 158 years until we bought it in March 2011 and began to restore it.
Enos Kellogg Homestead Norwalk, Connecticut
A sporadic recounting of our efforts to restore a c.1784 New England saltbox in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Historic Edwards Place, c. 1857 Springfield, Illinois
Historic Edwards Place was built in 1833 and enlarged in 1857. The Springfield Art Association is undertaking a full-scale interior restoration to its c. 1860 appearance.
Full Restoration/Reno of vacant home in Detroit with original 1920s Japanese rock garden Detroit, Michigan
Vacant for over 5 years, this beautiful 1927 Tudor had become damaged due to burst water pipes. Break-ins, wild animals, and years of neglect left this home in shambles, but a young couple have nearly completed a full restoration/renovation of the space. They have documented the home's history, rebuilt curved ceilings, and restored the home to its former glory!
Elba Farm House Lapeer, Michigan
History, renovation, and daily life in an old Elba Township farmhouse.
Oak Haven Farm Cedar Brook, New Jersey
House Margaret Woodbury, New Jersey
An effort to highlight the ups and downs of historic preservation and restoration of the once grand city of Woodbury, NJ and the Colonial and Victorian era houses that make up its many stories.
HELP TO TRACE THE HISTORY OF YOUR AMERICAN HOUSE
Finding a library To find your local library
Another great site for finding your library is LibDex
State and Local Government on the Net A directory of state, county and city government web sites
Planning your visit to the archives Genealogy Research at the Courthouse, Archives or Library- 10 Tips for Planning Your Visit
State archives on line U.S. State Archives Online
This Old House Magazine
Could your street have changed its name? Stephen P. Morse's web site to help with street name changes.
How to Research a Historic Property: This provides help & advice for how to go about researching the history of a house in Virginia
House History Aid: From the Indianapolis public library offering advice on how to conduct a home history search, plus links to useful local resources. https://www.indypl.org/research-learn/house-history
House History Checklist: A guide to researching the history of your Kansas home
History of a House: Resources to help discover information about a house in Los Angeles.
Researching House History: A Case Study: Kim Wolterman lives in a historic house and has written several books on researching house history. St Louis, Missouri
Resources for Property Research: Helkp to find resources when researching houses in the Seattle area.
Researching Historic Houses: Resources for house historians in Maryland
Researching the History of Buildings: House history research in King and Seattle counties in Washington
Researching a Home: Advice to discover your home history in Michigan
Researching a House: While the information here is specifically relevant to St. Louis Park, MN, the steps outlined are a good guide for anyone taking on this task.
How to Look for Records of Houses: Discover how to start a home history search, learn about information available online, and discover what is accessible in person. National Archives
How to Research a Home’s History: Follow these tips to delve into your house’s past. Forbes
How to Be a House Detective: The process involves two steps: investigation and corroboration. TV Station
Historic American Newspapers: An American newspaper collection containing 154,205 titles from 1690 to the present.
Historical Newspapers: A site that gives you newspaper archives which are available online often at no cost.
New York City Building Information Search: Use this site to search an address in New York City.
NETROnline: Search public records to find out more about the people who once owned your home.
Surveying Units and Terms: Surveying units of measure and surveying terms can help you understand the details of property records.
Understanding Property Deeds: A deed is a legal document in American real estate transferring property ownership, outlining buyer and seller names, property description, and associated conditions.
CITY AND STREET DIRECTORIES FOR AMERICAN HOUSE HISTORY
Repositories of city directories nationwide are listed with their location at local or regional libraries.
Old directories site
Have you ever wished you could find links to all the online city directories in one place? You can here
Courts Records: National Center for State Courts:
A directory of courts (county, circuit, etc.) in each state with links to their web sites, most of which have search capabilities to trace people and places.
Internet Archive
Internet Archive has a sizable number of free directories available. Just enter "city directory" with the quotes in the search box and depress the "Go" button. At the time of the publication of this post there are 3,168 results. You obviously would wish to refine the search by entering your city of interest, but it tells you that there are a lot of city directories available to you.
Don's List has a nice collection of directories and is free and browsable. There are also international directories available.
Ancestry.com has a large collection of directories that do have an index, so that a surname or complete name can be entered and one can find an ancestor in the results provided. The page where the person's name exists is made available and all one needs to do is scan through the image to find the subject person. Ancestry requires a subscription.
Hathitrust and Google Books have a large number of directories that are available for you to search and browse. In particular, Hathitrust has many from the 19th Century.
My Heritage has recently been adding a large amount to is online city directory collection. It is available via a subscription.
FindMyPast also has directories of many varieties available via subscription, and is a very good source of not only the U.S. and Canada, but also the UK, Ireland, and Australia and New Zealand.
Cyndi's List has a long list of smaller collections of directories online provided by local libraries and historical societies. Definitely worth looking at the free resources as well as those listed that are available via subscription sites.
Finally, Miriam Robbins has accumulated a number of links to city directories, which she has made available at Online Historical Directories.
Old directories site
Have you ever wished you could find links to all the online city directories in one place? You can here
Courts Records: National Center for State Courts:
A directory of courts (county, circuit, etc.) in each state with links to their web sites, most of which have search capabilities to trace people and places.
Internet Archive
Internet Archive has a sizable number of free directories available. Just enter "city directory" with the quotes in the search box and depress the "Go" button. At the time of the publication of this post there are 3,168 results. You obviously would wish to refine the search by entering your city of interest, but it tells you that there are a lot of city directories available to you.
Don's List has a nice collection of directories and is free and browsable. There are also international directories available.
Ancestry.com has a large collection of directories that do have an index, so that a surname or complete name can be entered and one can find an ancestor in the results provided. The page where the person's name exists is made available and all one needs to do is scan through the image to find the subject person. Ancestry requires a subscription.
Hathitrust and Google Books have a large number of directories that are available for you to search and browse. In particular, Hathitrust has many from the 19th Century.
My Heritage has recently been adding a large amount to is online city directory collection. It is available via a subscription.
FindMyPast also has directories of many varieties available via subscription, and is a very good source of not only the U.S. and Canada, but also the UK, Ireland, and Australia and New Zealand.
Cyndi's List has a long list of smaller collections of directories online provided by local libraries and historical societies. Definitely worth looking at the free resources as well as those listed that are available via subscription sites.
Finally, Miriam Robbins has accumulated a number of links to city directories, which she has made available at Online Historical Directories.
AMERICAN HOUSE STYLES
AMERICAN HOUSE HISTORIES
National Register of Historic Places
is the Nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation.
Historic New England – Historic New England is a 100 year old preservation organization preserving New England history, artifacts, homes, landscapes and stories.
Alameda history.org is a blog dedicated to collecting and sharing knowledge about the life of old houses and buildings in Portland, Oregon, with a special focus on Northeast Portland’s Alameda neighborhood. The basic notion of this blog is that insight about the past adds new meaning to the present
History Channel
At the History Channel, you can search any topic in history, visit virtual exhibitions, test your history IQ, and search for your ancestors.
is the Nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation.
Historic New England – Historic New England is a 100 year old preservation organization preserving New England history, artifacts, homes, landscapes and stories.
Alameda history.org is a blog dedicated to collecting and sharing knowledge about the life of old houses and buildings in Portland, Oregon, with a special focus on Northeast Portland’s Alameda neighborhood. The basic notion of this blog is that insight about the past adds new meaning to the present
History Channel
At the History Channel, you can search any topic in history, visit virtual exhibitions, test your history IQ, and search for your ancestors.
WILLS AND PROBATE FOR THE AMERICAN HOUSE HISTORIAN
PHOTOGRAPHY
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Dead Fred Genealogy Photo Archive - unidentified ancestor photos
Are You Cropping Too Much? Excellent advice from Michael John Neill about minute details in photos Roots Chat Free Photo Restoration and Dating - crowdsourced help for photos plus tips Ancient Faces - a photo community with lots of portraits and historical photos Google - reverse image search Tineye - reverse image search How to Edit Faded, Spotted and Torn Old Photos - scanned photo repair techniques A Perfect Example Why You Should Search for Photos Online Alaska's Digital Archives presents a wealth of historical photographs, albums, oral histories, moving images, maps, documents, physical objects, and other materials from libraries, museums and archives throughout the state. AD&A Museum, UC Santa Barbara One of the largest architectural archives in North America with more than 1,000,000 drawings, as well as papers, photographs, models, decorative objects, and furniture. The focus of the collection is the design and architecture of southern California from the late 19th through the early 21st century. Alabama Department of Archives and History Alabama Dept. of Archives and History Digital Collection The Art Institute of Chicago Online collections, which offer access to over 87,000 works and basic information about works of art from all areas of the collection. The Durham Museum Photo Archive The Durham Museum’s Photo Archive contains over 800,000 images spanning from the 1860s to the 1990s. Historic Pittsburg This collection provide online access to over 32,750 images from 73 photographic collections. Kentucky Photo Archive Library of Congress Photos Archives The Prints and Photographs Online Catalog contains catalog records and digital images representing a rich cross-section of still pictures held by the Prints & Photographs Division and, in some cases, other units of the Library of Congress. Northwest Architectural Archives is the repository for the records of architects, engineers, contractors, landscape architects, interior designers, academics, and local professional societies from the Midwest region with works that extend throughout the United States and the world PhillyHistory.org The Philadelphia City Archive contains about 2 million photographs, dating from the late 1800's. Discover gorgeous images of Philadelphia, its industry, architecture, culture, and people. Rarehistoricalphotos.com Rare Historical Photos and the story behind them… Sears Archives A collection of images and photographs of almost all 447 house designs sold through the Sears Modern Homes program from 1908 to 1940. The Seattle Municipal Archives Photograph database. Our photographs date from the 1880s to the present and include subjects such as public works, City events, City sites and facilities, and elected officials. American Museum of Natural History Digital Public Library of America Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog National Archives - Digital Photograph Collections Smithsonian Images |
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MAGAZINES
Although predominately genealogy magazines these provides articles and links to house history..House history and Family history share many resources so these are a must read.
Family Tree Magazine USA
Family Tree Magazine UK
BOOKS ABOUT AMERICAN HOUSE HISTORY
Discovering the History of Your House and Your Neighborhood
by Betsy J. Green Santa Monica Press (May 2002)
Amazon
Step-by-step guide on how research the history of your home are instructions on how to identify the names of past residents, how to locate them or their relatives and learn facts about their lives, as well as obtain old photos of your house.
Houses and Homes: Exploring Their History (American Association for State and Local History Book Series) by Barbara Howe AltaMira Press (1995)
Amazon
A good resource for documenting the history of a home, this book shows how to examine written records, oral testimonies, visual sources, and the house's surroundings. Library Call Numbers: Library of Congress: E180; Dewey: 307.3/36/0973
A Field guide to American Houses (Revised) The Definitive Guide to identifying and Understanding Americas Domestic Architecture
Amazon
The most comprehensive and widely acclaimed guide to domestic architecture: in print and acknowledged everywhere as the unmatched, essential guide to American houses.
House Histories A Guide to Tracing the Genealogy of Your Home
by Sally Ligh
Architecture and dating an old house A Field Guide to American Houses by Virginia McAlester, Lee McAlester, Juan Rodriguez, and Lauren Jarrett (illustrator)
Knopf (1984) A thorough guide on the architecture of American homes mainly built in the 1600’s to the 1940’sLibrary Call Numbers: Library of Congress: NA7205 ; Dewey: 728/.0973
What Style Is It? A Guide to American Architecture, Revised Edition
by John C. Poppeliers, S. Allen Chambers Wiley (2006) A guide to determining the architecture style of a home with over 200 pictures and drawings, this is a good resource to use as a visual aid. Library Call Numbers: Library of Congress: NA705 ; Dewey: 720/.973
American House Styles: A Concise Guide by John Milnes Baker W. W. Norton & Company (2002)
this book offers historical details to explain architecture styles and how history has influenced our home’s architecture. Library Call Numbers: Library of Congress: NA7205 ; Dewey: 728/.37/0973
Old-House Dictionary: An Illustrated Guide to American Domestic Architecture (1600-1940) by Steven J. Phillips Wiley (1992)This resource is a good companion to the detailed style guides, with over 750 definitions, often illustrated with drawings. Library Call Numbers: Library of Congress: NA7205 ; Dewey: 728/.0973
A Concise History of American Architecture by Leland M. Roth HarperCollins Publishers (1980)
An historical guide to American architecture, this book focuses on regional influences that dictated house construction and will give you a better understanding of why homes were built differently in different regions. Library Call Numbers: Library of Congress: NA705 ; Dewey: 720/.973
Family Tree Magazine USA
Family Tree Magazine UK
BOOKS ABOUT AMERICAN HOUSE HISTORY
Discovering the History of Your House and Your Neighborhood
by Betsy J. Green Santa Monica Press (May 2002)
Amazon
Step-by-step guide on how research the history of your home are instructions on how to identify the names of past residents, how to locate them or their relatives and learn facts about their lives, as well as obtain old photos of your house.
Houses and Homes: Exploring Their History (American Association for State and Local History Book Series) by Barbara Howe AltaMira Press (1995)
Amazon
A good resource for documenting the history of a home, this book shows how to examine written records, oral testimonies, visual sources, and the house's surroundings. Library Call Numbers: Library of Congress: E180; Dewey: 307.3/36/0973
A Field guide to American Houses (Revised) The Definitive Guide to identifying and Understanding Americas Domestic Architecture
Amazon
The most comprehensive and widely acclaimed guide to domestic architecture: in print and acknowledged everywhere as the unmatched, essential guide to American houses.
House Histories A Guide to Tracing the Genealogy of Your Home
by Sally Ligh
Architecture and dating an old house A Field Guide to American Houses by Virginia McAlester, Lee McAlester, Juan Rodriguez, and Lauren Jarrett (illustrator)
Knopf (1984) A thorough guide on the architecture of American homes mainly built in the 1600’s to the 1940’sLibrary Call Numbers: Library of Congress: NA7205 ; Dewey: 728/.0973
What Style Is It? A Guide to American Architecture, Revised Edition
by John C. Poppeliers, S. Allen Chambers Wiley (2006) A guide to determining the architecture style of a home with over 200 pictures and drawings, this is a good resource to use as a visual aid. Library Call Numbers: Library of Congress: NA705 ; Dewey: 720/.973
American House Styles: A Concise Guide by John Milnes Baker W. W. Norton & Company (2002)
this book offers historical details to explain architecture styles and how history has influenced our home’s architecture. Library Call Numbers: Library of Congress: NA7205 ; Dewey: 728/.37/0973
Old-House Dictionary: An Illustrated Guide to American Domestic Architecture (1600-1940) by Steven J. Phillips Wiley (1992)This resource is a good companion to the detailed style guides, with over 750 definitions, often illustrated with drawings. Library Call Numbers: Library of Congress: NA7205 ; Dewey: 728/.0973
A Concise History of American Architecture by Leland M. Roth HarperCollins Publishers (1980)
An historical guide to American architecture, this book focuses on regional influences that dictated house construction and will give you a better understanding of why homes were built differently in different regions. Library Call Numbers: Library of Congress: NA705 ; Dewey: 720/.973
American National and local Historical Societies Click here
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