This message was sent to MAPS-L by Jack Mount.  It has been downloaded from
the H-URBAN list.  ----  Johnnie
 
 
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      Tue, 03 Aug 1993 14:44:18 -0700 (MST)
      [log in to unmask]
         Sanborn Maps:  forwarded comments
 
            [log in to unmask]"  "H-URBAN Urban History discussion list"  3-AU
        RE: Sanborn maps: citation and comment (=evry block in every city)
 
      Tue, 03 Aug 1993 07:01:07 -0500 (CDT)
      Eric Mumford <[log in to unmask]>
         RE: Sanborn maps: citation and comment (=evry block in every city)
        H-URBAN Urban History discussion list <[log in to unmask]>
 
Re Sanborn map accuracy:
 
Definitely these maps are not to be relied on for anything except
property lines and general street layouts. Usually there exist separate
utility company maps that show gas lines, etc., though even these
(at least in NYC) often contain errors. In New York even getting access
to these kinds of maps can be a major chore, especially in the
outer boroughs like the Bronx, where the relevant companies are often
not very interested in serving the individual information seeker--though
sometimes you get lucky and find helpful people.
 
The Sanborn maps are best used to provide a general picture of area
development over time, but should never be taken as the last word on
detailed site conditions. I worked on a tenement renovation on the
Lower East Side, for example, and two four-story rear tenements didn't
appear on the map at all. In other cases the shapes of apartment buildings
were quite inaccurate, or building heights were off by a story.
 
Eric Mumford
MUMFORD@MITVMA