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Maps & Geospatial: Sanborn Maps

Initially created to estimate fire insurance risks, the company's maps are frequently used for historical research, and for preservation and restoration efforts.

Map Specialist

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Heather Ross
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hdr10@psu.edu
Contact:
1 Pattee Library
Donald W. Hamer Center for Maps and Geospatial Information
Penn State University Libraries
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-1349
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Donald W. Hamer Center for Maps and Geospatial Information

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The Sanborn Map Company

Allegheny PA Map Title

Founded in 1867 by D. A. Sanborn, the Sanborn Map Company first gained recognition for creating richly detailed fire insurance maps - maps that are so full of valuable information that they are still widely used today.

Rich with valuable and detailed information, Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps - originally created as a product to help insurance companies assess the potential risks involved in underwriting policies - have developed into a tool with myriad uses for multiple industries.

Sanborn Fire Insurance maps typically include the following information:

  • Building addresses
  • Building height
  • Building footprints
  • Street names
  • Number of stories per building
  • Building construction materials
  • Building use
  • Right of way

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps Typography

Typography is one of the extra-cartographic features of interest in Sanborn maps collections. Some examples: