Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Inventory

If you are interested in researching historic architecture in Indiana, the county architectural surveys are a great resource. Known formally as the “Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Inventory,” the more common name of the survey is the County Interim Report, indicating the report is not a final document. The Interim Reports document historic districts or individual properties over 40 years old that maintain some historic character (or integrity).

The Interim Report is published as a book for each county (the exception to this is certain towns in Indiana, including Indianapolis, South Bend, and Bloomington). The report includes a brief history of the county and a description of architectural styles found within that county. Then, the report is subdivided by township and lists every single resource surveyed at that time. Each listing will include the address, a unique name for the property (if applicable), the architectural style, architect (if known), and approximate date. Word of advice: you should always double check the date and any information listed for the property with other sources. The large scale of the survey did not permit extensive research into each property.

The Interim Report also rates the quality of the property, ranging from Outstanding, Notable, Contributing, or Non-Contributing. Outstanding properties are eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, while Notable properties may be eligible with additional research. When historic districts are surveyed, the contributing label typically identifies a property that would not be important without the entire district. Non-contributing properties are not identified as historic in any capacity.

An example page from the Rush County Interim Report

The earliest Interim Report dates from 1980. Although the process for surveying is currently changing, a handful of counties are surveyed every summer. The Interim Report can be a great resource in identifying other historic resources within your community. The Interim Report is commonly used for historic preservation compliance requirements, but historians everywhere find the survey useful. Looking to find all the historic schools in your county? Consult the interim report. Hoping to find a specific architectural style or compare your property to others? Consult the interim report. Wondering if an architect designed any structures in the county? Consult the interim report. The older reports, although somewhat outdated, may be useful in identifying properties that have been demolished.

Decatur County’s Interim Report was published in 1999, one of the more recent reports. Unfortunately, it is not available online yet. Many of the out of print interim reports have been digitized and made available online through IUPUI. Print copies can be purchased by contacting Indiana Landmarks, while many libraries house copies of these documents. Luckily, the Greensburg-Decatur County Public Library has a copy of the 1999 survey for Decatur County.

The images show the cover and an example page from Rush County. As you can see, the survey page includes a nice variety of imagery and text.

Post written by Raina Regan.
Raina is an architectural historian employed by the Indiana National Guard. Her work encompasses statewide cultural resources projects with National Register eligible or listed structures. Raina has a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Visual Culture from Michigan State University and a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from Ball State University.

Historic Map Resources

In my first post, I discussed the great resource of Sanborn Maps. However, there are several other great historic map resources available to those looking to research a property or structure. We’ll touch on a few today and places to access these resources in Indiana.

Historic Topographic Maps

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Topographic Maps cover every inch of land in the United States. The USGS took responsibility for surveying and creating maps of the United States beginning in 1879 and has continued as the largest, civilian mapping agency of the United States. The 1:24,000 scale (also known as the 7.5’ minute series) topographic maps are the most commonly known and used map created by the USGS. The topographic map can provide information about your property that might not be found in other sources. Before you can find the appropriate topographic map, you need to know which quadrangle your property is located within. You can find your specific quadrangle by searching this index to quads in Indiana; many quads are named after major cities or towns within the area, although there are exceptions to that rule. The quads in Decatur County include: Adams, Waldron, Hartsville, Forest Hill, Grammer, Westport, Millhousen, Greensburg, Osgood, New Point, Milroy, and Clarksburg. Indiana University has digitized a variety of historic topographic maps dating from the 1940s to the present. Topographic maps can tell you major land development, it might show whether or not a building was on the site, changes in railroad lines or road developments (such as highways), and the city limits. Historic topographic maps are a great resource to understand the overall area development.


1958 Historic Topographic Map of Greensburg Quadrangle, Image available at Indiana University Libraries

Historic Aerial Maps

When trying to get a bit more detailed, historic aerial maps should be your go-to resource. Historic Aerial Maps started in Indiana during the 1930s and many areas were photographed approximately every 10 years. The Indiana Historical Aerial Photo Index, or as it’s known, IHAPI, is a great resource to get your aerial photo research started. IHAPI provides the Decatur County aerial maps for the years 1940, 1950, 1955, 1960, and 1968. The IHAPI is designed as an index, which means it provides a starting point to determine the years and which aerial photos are available for your property. In the right hand corner of each mosaic image, the aerial photo number is featured – the vital information you need to find and access the physical aerial maps. The IHAPI might give you some semblance of what was going on the land at that time, but physically viewing the aerial map will provide a much greater level of detail. The Indiana State Archives hosts the physical aerial map collection. Because of the frequency of aerial maps, they provide a great resource in dating changes to a structure or land.

Other Maps

The IUPUI University Library features a great online resource of digitized maps from across Indiana. The Historic Indiana Maps collection includes maps ranging from plat maps, soil and natural resources maps, geological maps, and transportation maps. This collection features both state wide, county wide, and local map data. Also related, the IUPUI University Library digital collection includes the Historic Indiana Plat Maps. This resource may require a little digging, but is a great historic resource. Plat maps will feature land ownership boundaries which may indicate the use of the land at the time of publication (farming versus residential). Libraries often feature bound book copies of plat maps, atlases, and other historic county maps ranging from the earliest settlement of the county to the present.

Post written by Raina Regan
Raina is an architectural historian employed by the Indiana National Guard. Her work encompasses statewide cultural resources projects with National Register eligible or listed structures. Raina has a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Visual Culture from Michigan State University and a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from Ball State University.

Exploring history with Sanborn Maps

If you are researching a historic house or structure, the Sanborn Map is a great resource. Sanborn Maps documented the infrastructure of urban areas in Indiana starting in 1883. Although no regular schedule was followed, each city map was updated every 5 to 15 years.

Each map documents the structures at the date of publication, coded by color and symbols to identify elements of the building. For each structures, you can learn the building material, number of heights, and window openings. A great history of the Sanborn Maps is available at the Library of Congress (http://www.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/sanborn/san4a1.html). Using the Sanborn Map can uncover many secrets about your building’s history – so how do you use them?

Well, first of all, where can you find Sanborn Maps in Indiana? Originally, Sanborn Maps were printed and bound in large, hardcover books each time new maps were published. Some libraries and archives house these books, but you will find more coverage and ease of access through microfilm copies or online databases. The Indiana State Library (http://www.in.gov/library/) houses all the Sanborn Maps for Indiana on microfilm. Recently, the Indiana University Spatial Data Portal added digital, scanned, color copies of Indiana Sanborn Maps on their website http://gis.iu.edu/datasetInfo/sanborn.php. Other libraries and archives may have access to select cities or areas.

Let’s make it simple. What Sanborn Maps are available for Decatur County? Here are the offerings:
Greensburg: 1883, 1887, 1892, 1899, 1906, 1913, 1927, 1947

Milford: 1893, 1897, 1905, 1910, 1917

St. Paul: 1927

 

Figure 1

So, once you’ve found your map, what next? An individual city’s map for each year will include a small “mini” map with a key identifying how the map was divided geographically. This key (Figure 1) is the guide map from the 1887 Greensburg Sanborn Map. Now, let’s say we’re researching the Decatur County Courthouse. From the guide map, we discover the structure is on page 2 (Figure 2). Some early maps or smaller cities may not include a guide map if the city’s coverage is limited to one or two pages. The page numbers for each map are located in the upper right hand corner.

Figure 2

Using a Sanborn Map Key (http://www.in.gov/library/images/mapkey.jpg), you can gain some great knowledge about the building at the date the map was published. Let’s use the 1887 Greensburg Map, sheet 2, with the Decatur County Courthouse as our example. The pink color with circles tells us the courthouse is a brick building. The ‘2’ tells us the structure is two stories tall. The tick marks along the outer edges of the building indicate the number of window openings. Other details tell us the courthouse has two towers, the interior space included offices, and the structure has a hip roof.

Now, let’s compare the 1887 map to the 1913 map of the Decatur County Courthouse (Figure 3). The updated map shows the structure maintains the same basic shape with two stories of brick. This map gives a basic floor print of the interior and indicates the courtroom space. Overall, both maps indicate the building has not changed significantly from 1887 until today. 

Figure 3

Things to keep in mind when using Sanborn Maps: address numbers and street names may have changed from the publication of certain maps. Sanborn Maps may tell you what kind of use the structure had at the date of publication. Lastly, Sanborn Maps typically focused on the “center” or downtown area of a city. If your historic building is on the edge of a city, it may or may not be included. In some cases, major institutions or companies that had facilities outside of the town would be included as a smaller map within a single sheet. Using a contemporary map (Google Maps, for example) as a reference will help you visually determine whether or not you’ve found the correct structure on the Sanborn Map.

With these basic tools, you can explore Sanborn Maps in your own community. Sanborn Maps will provide some great information to date your structure, determine the overall form, and might mention the owner or use of the structure at that time. 

Sanborn Maps used in this article found in the Indiana Spatial Data Portal.

Post written by Raina Regan.
Raina is an architectural historian employed by the Indiana National Guard. Her work encompasses statewide cultural resources projects with National Register eligible or listed structures. Raina has a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Visual Culture from Michigan State University and a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from Ball State University.