OldInsuranceMaps.net joins OpenStreetMap US Charter Project

OldInsuranceMaps.net (OIM) has been announced as the latest addition to the OpenStreetMap US (OSM US) Charter Project program. The designation provides the platform with a stable legal and fiscal framework, enabling its developers and organisers to focus on building and maintaining the service. OIM joins other established projects within the programme, including YouthMappers, Yesterdays, and OpenHistoricalMap.

Founded by Adam Cox in 2022 while he was at Louisiana State University, OIM serves as a digital repository for historical geographic data. The platform currently hosts over 1,200 Sanborn Insurance Maps, primarily sourced from the Library of Congress. These maps, which were among the most accurate geographic references in the United States from 1867 into the 1960s, are made accessible through a volunteer-driven georeferencing process.

The Sanborn maps are notable for their physical history, often featuring small paper cutouts pasted over original drawings to reflect renamed streets or demolished buildings. OIM allows volunteers to digitise these scanned maps by placing ground control points and stitching pages together. The interface is designed to be intuitive, lowering the barrier to entry for users without extensive knowledge of geography or Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

The user base for the platform is diverse, ranging from hobbyists exploring local history to scholars conducting large-scale research and professionals working on redevelopment projects. The OSM US team anticipates increased collaboration and synergies between OIM, OpenHistoricalMap, and Yesterdays. Contributors often use these tools in combination, with mappers using OIM data as reference layers for OpenHistoricalMap and Yesterdays incorporating Sanborn maps as a base layer for placing historical images.

The Charter Project programme is designed to provide a long-term home for notable tools, programs, and services within the OpenStreetMap ecosystem. By offering a structured legal and fiscal environment, the programme aims to support the sustainability of these digital archives. Applications for the Charter Project program remain open on a rolling basis for any project in the ecosystem.

This development highlights the growing integration of historical data into modern open-source mapping initiatives. As OIM continues to expand its collection, it reinforces the value of crowdsourced knowledge and open-sourced technology in preserving geographic history.