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Public History Course Research Projects: IUP and Indiana Area History

This guide contains the research gathered and presented by students in IUP's public history courses. They cover a range of topics, but largely concern history local to the University and Indiana region.

Getting Started With Your Research

There are many resources available to you when conducting research into local communities and their buildings. Begin your research with the following resources.

 

General Resources

Digital Archives Historical American Buildings Survey 

Local Newspapers Access Newspaper Archive 

Local Repositories with relevant information:

Historical & Genealogical Society of Indiana County  621 Wayne Ave, Indiana, PA 15701  724-463-9600

Register and Recorder's Office  825 Philadelphia Street. Indiana, PA 15701  (724) 465-3860

 

Related Educational Resources

Researching a Historic Property

How to Look for Records of Houses - National Archives

How to Date Your Old House 

Dating Your Antique Homes 

10 Ways to Research Your Home's History

Preservation Briefs. 35. Understanding Old Buildings

 

Maps

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps are available through a searchable database of the fire insurance maps published by the Sanborn Map Company housed in the collections of the Geography and Map Division. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps.

 

Books in the IUP Library Collection

Foster, Gerald L., and NetLibrary, Inc. American Houses : A Field Guide to the Architecture of the Home. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004 Call No. NA7205 .F68 2004 

Kyvig, David E., and Myron A. Marty. Nearby History : Exploring the past around You. 2nd ed. American Association for State and Local History Book Series. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2000.   Call No. E180.5 .N98 2000

McAlester, Virginia, and McAlester, A. Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. Paper.. ed. New York: Knopf, 1993. Call No. NA7205 .M35 1984 

 

Maps and Atlases in the IUP Library Collection

Beers, F. W., and Historical & Genealogical Society of Indiana County. Atlas of Indiana Co., Pennsylvania : From Actual Surveys. Indiana, Pa.: Historical and Genealogical Society of Indiana County, 1998.  Available at IUP Special Collections   G1263.I5 B4 1998 and at Indiana & Genealogical Historical Society

Leathers, D. S., and Clarence. Stephenson. The 1856 Peelor Map of Indiana County : Arranged by Township and Borough. Indiana, Pa.]: Historical & Genealogical Society of Indiana County, 2007. IUP Special Collections G3823.I5 P44 2007  and at Indiana Historical & Genealogical Society

 

Researching Your House: Helpful Resource Checklist

Uncovering Your Home or Commercial Property’s Unique History Indiana, PA. Research Guide 

Building History Presentation for Colloquium for Libraries and Service Learning. Summer 2018