This collection contains large-scale maps of the village (later city) of St. Albans, Vermont produced by the Sanborn Company from 1884-1920 to give fire insurance companies and underwriters accurate information about insured properties. The fire insurance maps provide a detailed record of the development of St. Albans as the “Railroad City.”
St. Albans was the administrative and operational headquarters for the Central Vermont. Rail yards, shops for repairing and fabricating rolling stock, offices, and freight and passenger depots covered many acres west of Main Street. The insurance maps focus on the railroad facilities, manufacturing and industrial enterprises located nearby, the city’s commercial center along Main Street, and the churches, courthouse and academy located east of Taylor Park. The maps also include residences in the central section of St. Albans.
The colored 21 x 25 inch map sheets show building footprints, construction methods and materials, size and number of floors, and uses. They also indicate streets, railroads, property boundaries, street numbers, water systems, and fire protection. Each map set includes a detailed key that lists the symbols used to indicate building features. The 1889-1920 sets include an index sheet showing the mapped area and sheet numbers, a list of streets and addresses, and a “specials index” of businesses and organizations.
Later St. Albans insurance maps (1926 and 1964) are available in UVM Special Collections.
More information about Sanborn fire insurance maps is available here - http://www.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/sanborn/.
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