Use Restrictions

The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collection Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.

Provenance

This collection of maps and corresponding paperwork was funded by the City of Harrisonburg. The items in this collection are duplicates of items found in the Department of Community and Development for the City of Harrisonburg, Virginia. After pulling the duplicate items, the department gave the maps to the Massanutten Regional Library who in turn donated them to Special Collections.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Harrisonburg Historic Map Collection 1873-1982 (bulk 1903-1956), SC 0050, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.

Acquisition Information

This collection is made up of two separate donations. Previously cataloged as MAP 9000, the original collection was donated to JMU Special Collections in January 2012 with an additional acquisition in August 2015. The 2012 portion of the collection was donated by Susan Versen of Massanutten Regional Library, who received the materials from Sam Hottinger at the Department of Planning and Community Development for the City of Harrisonburg, Virginia. The 2015 portion of the collection was donated by Kathy Walker, a GIS Technician of Community Development in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Processing Information

The Harrisonburg Historic Map Collection consists of the original Map 9000 collection that was processed in 2012 and was integrated with a donation of maps from 2015. Map 9000 consisted of 22 map folders and one Rolled Storage box. In order to incorporate the 2015 donation into Map 9000, the two separate collections were combined and then condensed down to 18 map folders. The collection number was changed from Map 9000 to SC 0050 to reflect the integration of the collections. The maps, blueprints and paperwork did not arrive at Special Collections in any specific order. For the purpose of organization, the maps have been placed in chronological order based on the year that is listed on the maps. Paperwork is also organized chronologically where dates are found. Some maps and paperwork do not have dates listed and have been categorized as "Undated." These items are placed in alphabetical order by title. Some minimal preservation has been conducted on some of the maps to ensure the content of the maps is maintained. Many of the maps were received rolled up and for the purpose of storage have been flattened with humidification and weight.

Biographical / Historical

The City of Harrisonburg was founded in 1779 as the result of a small land deed from Thomas Harrison, establishing Court Square. In 1849, Isaac Hardesty was elected Harrisonburg's first mayor. The City was incorporated as an independent city in 1916. Since its founding in 1779, the City of Harrisonburg has grown from two and a half acres of land to 11,132.16 acres (11.64 square miles). The Harrisonburg Historic Map Collection was created and compiled by the Harrisonburg Department of Planning and Community Development. The department oversees development and planning within the City of Harrisonburg. Among other things, the department maintains a Comprehensive Plan and zoning ordinance. The department is divided into three divisions:

Building Inspections Engineering Planning and Zoning The Building Inspections division oversees code interpretation, permits, and provides assistance to ensure new building projects are planned in compliance with City and building codes.

The Engineering division provides engineering and surveying, public works inspections, and geographic information systems (GIS).

The Planning and Zoning division promotes development according to the City's Comprehensive Plan and government laws by making recommendations to elected and appointed city officials about proposed development based on facts and public forums. This division also supports the department by checking for zoning violations and planning for city zoning or rezoning.

Scope and Content

The Harrisonburg Historic Map Collection, 1873-1982 (bulk 1903-1956), consists of approximately 615 items. The collection mostly consists of blueprints created by the city regarding street expansions, sewer lines and treatment plans, plans for bridge construction, street grades, sub-division additions to the city, and property exchanges. Half of the property exchanges are between private citizens and the City of Harrisonburg while the other half of the property exchanges are between private citizens only. These items are duplicates of maps found at the Department of Planning and Community Development for the City of Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in two series, chronologically, then alphabetically, within each series. All items in the collection are described at an item level. When no date could be determined for the document, it was labeled as "Undated" and placed at the end of the chronology. All undated items are arranged alphabetically.

Related Material

Robert James Sullivan Jr. Papers, circa 1930-2013, SC 0003, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.

Separated Material

The "Engineers' Manual, 1917" was removed from the map collection, cataloged, and placed within the Special Collections rare book collection.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Administrative records
• Blueprints (reprographic copies)
• Charters
• City planning -- Virginia -- Harrisonburg
• Deeds
• Drawings (visual works)
• Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History
• Harrisonburg (Va.). Department of Planning and Community Development
• Letters (correspondence)
• Maps (documents)
• Massanutten Regional Library
• Minutes (administrative records)
• Plats (maps)
• Walker, Kathy
• profiles (orthographic projections)