  eed research will help you discover who the
owners of a particular property have been back through time. Sometimes this research can provide additional information,
such as date of construction and building materials.
You may research Charleston's deeds through the county offices located in the O.T. Wallace Building at 2 Courthouse Square.
| Step 1: |
Begin your search in the Auditors Office by looking up the address in which you are interested in the tax books.
Once you find it, make note of the tax map number in the Real Estate Index. Give this number to the clerk and
ask for a property record. Copy all relevant information, such as:
- Dimensions of the lot
- Previous property owners
- Date and type of conveyance if mentioned
- Book and page number of oldest deed reference
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| Step 2: |
Using the book and page number, look up old deeds to the property, found on microfilm in the Register of Mesne Conveyance
office, also located in the O.T. Wallace Building. The microfilm for transactions dating from the present back to 1880 is
organized both alphabetically and numerically. Microfilm cartridges contain two deed books each; thus microfilm ST24 contains
books S24 and T24.
The Register of Mesne Conveyance is a county repository holding public information. If you have a question, don't hesitate
to ask the staff for assistance. They are there to assist you. Remember, you are moving backwards through time so you want
to start with the oldest transaction on the property record.
Once you find the property's oldest recorded transaction by using the book and page number, read through all the deeds for that
property and pay special attention to:
- Type of transaction. Is it a conveyance, mortgage, deed of trust? Was it inherited?
- Amount paid for property. For example, a price of $5 might indicate a conveyance to a family member.
- Abutting and bounding properties. This helps you orient yourself in the event the property was once a part of a larger area of land.
- Dimensions of the land sold. This helps ensure that you aren't tracing the wrong piece of land.
- Plat references. If an old plat reference is mentioned in the deed, it is usually helpful to note that.
- The prior owner of the property. Note the book and page number of that transaction. Using the book and page number of the previous owner will keep you moving back through time. However, this is sometimes impossible to do. If you come to a dead end (i.e. the deed does not lead you to an earlier conveyance), follow Step 3.
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| Step 3: |
If you come to a dead end with the deeds, consult the real estate indexes. Indexes for 1900 to the present are in the main room of the register's office and indexes before the 1890s are in the historic room down the hall.
- Look in the direct index if you have the name of the grantor (seller) and know about when a transaction occurred.
- Look in the cross index if you have the name of the grantee (buyer) and know about when the transaction occurred.
- Most of the deeds recorded before 1890 are on microfilm, as well as in laminated text form.
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