1912 Sanborn Map

Georgetown, KY

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Sanborn Maps

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For map nerds, history buffs, genealogy gurus, and planners, Sanborn maps rank as some of the most beloved records of populated places in the US. First appearing after the Civil War, these maps were developed by the Sanborn Company to aid in assessing liability for fire insurance firms. However, the rich detail found in each square inch of these maps make them valuable records of the past for the 12,000 communities surveyed.

Read more about Sanborn Maps:

Sanborn Maps

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Georgetown, 1912

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Sanborn carried out surveys and updates of Georgetown in 1886, 1895, 1901, 1907, and 1912. Map sheets from these surveys can be accessed and downloaded from the Kentucky Digital Library.

The map you see here is a combination of the 15+ map sheets from Sanborn's 1912 survey of Georgetown. We've also spotted a few examples (listed below) of places that have undergone major changes and others that have remained rather untouched. That said, feel free to explore the map on your own. Use the slider or buttons in the top-right corner to change the opacity of the Sanborn map so you can compare and contrast the 1912 map against 2014 aerial imagery.

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Moving Forward

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Even with powerful grapics and mapping software, the process of stitching together the Sanborn map sheets into a single, seamless basemap is a slow one. Over the coming months, we plan to roll out earlier editions of Sanborn's mappings in Georgetown. Once completed, we hope the you will find these maps to be another helpful resource for understanding this community's past.

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or simply some cool observations, we want to hear them!