Most Norwood homeowners are curious about the history of their home. It isn't always easy to find some information, such as the name of the builder. Research into deed records usually doesn't help. The names of the original owners can often be determined from those records, however. The following will be useful if you find that the original owners are one of these people (According to the 1896 directory, the 1896 residence and occupation of each person is added. This residence may be the same as that built by Williamson. People moved and the person in the 1896 directory may not be the same as the Williamson list, so investigate further!):

What is special about these people? In an advertisement in the 1896 Norwood Directory, Milton M. Williamson, carpenter and builder, says he built the homes for them during that past year. So, if your home was built in 1895-96 and you find the name of the first owners of your home on this list, you have also discovered your builder.


Milton Williamson owned his Elm Avenue home, which was built by Bofinger & Hopkins, according to their advertisement in Mulford and Betty's 1894 book, "Norwood, Her Homes and Her People." It is interesting that B.&H. built his home, instead of himself. The 1896 Directory gives the address as the eighth house west of Section Avenue on the north side of Elm. His office was located on Elm, 490 feet west of Section, which would have put it at, or very close to, his home.

According to the 1900 Census, Mr. Williamson was born December 1862 in Ohio—also the birthplace of his parents. His wife, Mary, was born May 1858 in Ohio. Her father was born in England and her mother in Maryland. Milton and Mary were married around 1890. Four of her five children were alive in 1900. Three were living with them: Edna Price, born January 1891; Elmer Vernar, born August 1893; and Emily Amanda, born November 1894. All three were born in Ohio.

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If you discover you have one of the homes build by Mr. Williamson, or you have more information on this, or any other, Norwood builder, please consider donating a copy of your research to the Norwood Historical Society, where it can be stored in the archives, or placed here, to assist other researchers.