Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps

There's yet another new addition to the Digital Library of Georgia. This new resource is Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for Georgia Towns and Cities, 1884-1922. From the announcement:

The digital collection consists of 4,445 maps by the Sanborn Map Company depicting commercial, industrial, and residential areas for 133 municipalities. Originally designed for fire insurance assessment, the color-coded maps relate the location and use of buildings, as well as the materials employed in their construction. The maps indicate which city utilities--such as water and fire service--were available.

Fire insurance maps document the changing face of towns and cities, providing highly detailed information for each neighborhood and block. The Library of Congress web site refers to them as "probably the single most important record of urban growth and development in the United States during the past one hundred years."

The Sanborn Maps are a great tool for local research as well as a cool way to track the development of particluar addresses and locations. Do a search for your address!