Brown University Library News

The Library is pleased to announce its new subscription to Sanborn fire insurance maps for RI for the period 1889 to 1956. These finely detailed maps include information such as the outline of each building, the size, shape and construction materials, heights, and function of structures, location of windows and doors.
Sanborn Maps, 1867-1970 provide digital access to large-scale maps of Rhode Island. Founded in 1867 by D. A. Sanborn, the Sanborn Map Company was the primary American publisher of fire insurance maps for nearly 100 years. These maps are valuable historical tools for urban specialists, social historians, architects, geographers, genealogists, local historians, planners, environmentalists to learn about the history, growth, and development of American cities, towns, and neighborhoods. They can be used to estimate the potential risk for urban structures. This includes information such as the outline of each building, the size, shape and construction materials, heights, and function of structures, location of windows and doors. The maps also give street names, street and sidewalk widths, property boundaries, building use, and house and block numbers. Textual information on construction details (for example, steel beams or reinforced walls) is often given on the plans while shading indicates different building materials. Extensive information on building use is given, ranging from symbols for generic terms such as stable, garage, and warehouse to names of owners of factories and details on what was manufactured in them. Other features shown include pipelines, railroads, wells, dumps, and heavy machinery. A key is provided by the Sanborn Map Company. (Note: Because the key is a detailed file, it must be large so that you can view it completed. As a result, it may take a while for the key to load onto your computer screen.)
For more information contact Thomas_Stieve@brown.edu