Help Solve the Mystery: Can You Find This Plymouth, MN Home’s Original Address?

At HouseNovel, we love uncovering the forgotten histories of homes—whether they still stand today or have disappeared from the landscape. But every now and then, a home presents a real challenge, requiring historical records, maps, and a bit of detective work to piece together its story.

That’s exactly the case with this mystery house from Plymouth, Minnesota—a home that once stood in the early 20th century but no longer exists. Researchers and history enthusiasts are working to uncover its original address, history, and what became of it—and you’re invited to help with the search!

What Is Known About the Mystery House?

This home, photographed on July 5, 1960, was located in Plymouth, MN, in the Plymouth Gardens area. Based on research so far, it appears to have been demolished around 1931 for the construction of Highway 169, but its original address remains unknown.

At the time, Plymouth was Plymouth Township in Hennepin County, MN, a largely rural area with fewer documented street addresses. Census records from the 1930s list some local property owners, but detailed addresses in the area were sparse.

This is where historical research becomes exciting—by piecing together different records, aerial maps, and property data, it may be possible to pinpoint the original address and uncover more about the home’s story.

Photo of the mystery house:

Photo taken July 5, 1960, provided by the Plymouth Historical Society

How Can The Original Address Be Found?

Finding the original address of a home that no longer exists is a challenge, but certain historical sources may hold the answer:

• 1930 Census Records – Since the highway was constructed in 1931, this census might be the best record of who lived in the home at the time. Census records were handwritten and organized road by road, making it possible to track down homeowners in Plymouth Township’s Enumeration District (ED).
• Historic Aerial Maps – Comparing early aerial views with modern maps can help pinpoint where the home once stood before demolition. By overlaying historical maps with present-day roadways, it may be possible to determine the home’s exact location.

• View the 1937 Aerial Map of Plymouth – This aerial map from 1937 provides a bird’s-eye view of Plymouth just a few years after the home was likely demolished. Comparing it to current maps may reveal clues.
• Minnesota Historical Aerial Photographs Collection – A collection of historical aerial photographs that can provide additional context on land use and property changes in the Plymouth area.

• Newspaper Archives – Before the 1980s, newspapers often listed addresses alongside homeowner names in real estate sales, obituaries, or community news. Searching Newspapers.com for mentions of the property or its owners might provide leads.
• Plat Maps & City Directories – Early property maps and directories can help match landowners to specific parcels of land, which might help confirm the home’s exact address.
• Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Tools – Since early census records were handwritten, using tools like Ancestry’s OCR can help identify names and addresses, even if the original records have inconsistencies.

Join the Search!

This home’s history is a puzzle waiting to be solved, and the search is open to home history enthusiasts, researchers, and anyone interested in helping. If you love digging through historical records or have insights into Plymouth’s past, your input could be key to solving this mystery.

If any clues, address leads, or historical insights are uncovered, feel free to share them with us.

👉 Once you have found the address, please create a free home timeline for it on HouseNovel and upload your research. Then, email us at info@housenovel.com to let us know!

This post will be updated as new discoveries come to light. HouseNovel is not profiting from this research in any way—this is part of our free crowdsourcing community platform. We're simply assisting the Plymouth Historical Society in identifying this home's original address, one of 15 houses in their archives missing this key information.

Do you think this home's original address can be found? Share your thoughts in the comments or reach out with your findings!