Assignment 1

The Free Lance, 24 May 1910

What’s the deal?

Write a paper describing the changes over time [evolution] to block 40 of downtown Fredericksburg.

1. Changes in buildings

2. Changes in use of space

3. Changes in meaning

Summarize/Characterize these changes in a short paper.

Putting the pieces of historical knowledge together

18641912

18811937

1878

Resources1. Visual inspection of the buildings on the block at this time.

2. Fire insurance maps from 1886, 1892, 1896, 1902, 1907, 1912, 1919, 1927, 1937-1947, 1956, 1965

3. Land tax map for 1930

4. Aerial photographs 1937, current (Google maps, city of Fredericksburg)

5. Historic pictures, 1881, 1927. Post cards in city library collection.

6. City directories, 1888-1889, 1892, 1910, 1920, 1938, 1941, 1944, 1947, 1950, 1951

7. Manuscript census of 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930.

8. Newspaper accounts, 19th and 20th centuries.

9. Land tax records and other documents

Sanborn ---1965 Sanborn--1912

Symbols

Abbreviations

Merged stereoptican pictures from St. George’s steeple ca 1881.

Sanborn fire insurance map 1886

Using the city directories 1946-1947

Suggestions

Don’t write a history of each building. Characterize the changes on the block, then use an example from your research as evidence.

Be certain to look at all the fire maps, so you see the changes that may explain features on the block that don’t make sense otherwise.

What is driving the changes? Talk about how the town changes, but only from the perspective of this block.

How did the automobile impact life? For example.

Edit your work.