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Fire Insurance Maps at the Library of Congress: A Resource Guide

Other Fire Insurance Company Maps

While the Sanborn Fire Insurance Company was the most prolific and well-known firm making fire insurance maps, there were many other companies also producing fire insurance maps in the 19th and 20th centuries. For example, some patrons have found it puzzling to note that the Sanborn Fire Insurance Company maps do not begin in Philadelphia until 1916. But this is due to the monopoly on the fire map business held in Philadelphia by Ernest Hexamer starting in the mid 19th century, until it was eventually purchased by the Sanborn company.

The Library has a list of non-Sanborn fire insurance maps in the United States and Canada held by the Geography and Map Division at the reading room reference desk. The list has now been digitized and can be found at the link below. Many of these maps have not been scanned and an in person visit to the reading room is required to view the atlases.