City of Boston Archives

201 Rivermoor Street
West Roxbury, MA 02132
(617) 635-1195
Archives@boston.gov
https://www.boston.gov/departments/archives-and-records-management

The City Archives houses and manages historic City records and documents that are no longer in active use, including photographs, plans, deeds, maps and other documents. You’d be surprised by the wide range of historic materials that can inform your understanding of the history of Boston and its neighborhoods and buildings. Examples include:

• Assessing Department records (property values, maps, descriptions, ownership records
• Real estate, personal estate and poll tax records 1822-1985.
• Scrapbook of advertisements of property auctions and sales 1872.
• Plans circa 1918-1985 (large format plans arranged by ward number and block. Includes the block numbers, street names, plot dimensions, and building footprints.)
• Surveyor plans, arranged by neighborhood, which were drawn circa 1856-1877.
• Collection of aerial photographs of Boston, circa 1980.
• Boston Redevelopment Authority Records including photos and other documents of Boston’s urban renewal efforts, c. 1958-1987 .
• Inspections Services Department records can be particularly informative, and include: 
• Building division records
• Building permit files of demolished buildings (takedowns) circa 1919-1987
• Photographs of demolished buildings circa 1950-1990
• Permits and permit log books 1874-1963
• Permit plans circa 1970-1995
• Certificates of use and occupancy 1972-1995
• Special examination reports and photographs 1915-1918 reports of special examinations of buildings in response to complaints of unsafe conditions. Includes photographs of buildings.
• Street numbering records 1898-1972 includes building department copies of notices of changes in street numbering sent by the public works department and street number logs from 1898-1946, 1951-1958 and 1964-1970.