Delaware Sanborn Maps Online

wilmington fire insurance map; jos stoeckler diamond state brewery
Wilmington Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, 1885 shows the Jos. Stoeckler Diamond State Brewery. From the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress has been digitizing its collection of Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for a few years, and recently the institution added a number of Delaware products to its website.  To produce the atlases, the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps surveyors visited towns all across the nation to frequently update drawings and produce sketches at a detailed scale of one-inch to fifty-feet.  With these sources a researcher is able to observe the changes that took place with structures and communities over generations.  The Company was particularly active from the 1880s until the decades after World War II.

The online, digitized collection, which is accessible for free presently includes:

Camden – 1897

Clayton – 1897

Delaware City – 1885; 1891

Dover – 1885; 1891; 1897

Frederica – 1885; 1891;

Georgetown – 1885; 1891; 1907;

Harrington – 1885; 1891; 1897

Laurel: 1885; 1891; 18976

Lewes – 1891; 1897

Middletown – 1885; 1891

Milford – 1885; 1891; 1897

New Castle – 1885; 1891

Newark – 1891

Seaford – 1885; 1891; 1897

Smyrna – 1885; 1891

Wilmington — 1885

These maps are highly detailed and a lot of symbols and colors are used to catalog the data fire insurance underwriters needed.  Here is a link that provides information on how to interpret the map symbols

In addition, there is a collection of Maryland Maps available online.

This link will take you to the Maryland collection

Deer Park Hotel, Newark, Delaware Map 1891
Newark Delaware map of 1891 shows the Deer Park Hotel. From the Sanborn Fire Insurance Map in the collection of the LIbrary of Congress
Harrington Map
A portion of the Harrington Map; Sanbon Fire Insurance Company, 1885; from the Library of Congress
Delaware City Map
A portion of the Delaware City Fire Insurance Map shows the Delaware City Hotel and the waterfront. This 1885 map is from the Library of Congress

2 thoughts on “Delaware Sanborn Maps Online”

  1. I am looking for Sanborn insurance maps for Lewes DE 1898-1903.
    I have already looked at the 1891 and 1897 maps from the LOC collection, and the later 20th century maps at the University of Delaware that end with 1945.
    Is there an index that would tell me if such Lewes maps 1898-1903 exist?

    Thanks for any help you can provide.

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