DC Public Library Special Collections announces the release of seventy more historic Washington, DC, maps in Dig DC, the online portal to DCPL Special Collections. These maps cover the District of Columbia and the region from the Civil War to the turn of the century. To see them, head on over to the Maps: City & Regional collection in Dig DC.
Some highlights of the rare maps in this collection include:
- Map of the city of Washington and vicinity, showing present and proposed routes of steam railroads (1882)
- Cleveland Park, being a subdivision of part of a tract called Rosedale (1893)
- Plat of river front from Twenty-Seventh street west to Seventeenth street west (1888)
- Roundabout Washington bicycle route map (1896)
- Map of Anacostia River in the District of Columbia (1898)
- United States Capitol Grounds (Ca. 1900)
DCPL Special Collections has digitized nearly 250 historic maps from the Washingtoniana Map Collection and is currently working to bring all of these maps online for global public access and research. These digitized maps are being released in chronological phases. This is the second release, bringing the dates covered in the online map collection to 1768 through 1900. Check their website again soon for the next release.
While you’re in Dig DC, be sure to check out the Real Estate Plat Book Collection. This collection of real estate atlases now includes seven plat books, from 1874 to 1896. These real estate atlases have enormous research value. Plat maps convey important information about a property, such as the footprint, lot and building dimensions, and material. These maps can help you find old lot numbers, street names, and subdivision names. Studying plat maps over time gives a sense of the gradual development of neighborhoods and shows what existed before the current homes and buildings were built.
For more information about the historic map collection in Washingtoniana, please see the Washingtoniana Map Collection web page from Special Collections.
From: H-DC