In April, 1889 the Sanborn Map and Publishing Company published a detailed map of Milledgeville which gave information concerning the structures found in the city. These maps were commissioned in order to provide fire insurance companies with information about the kinds of materials used to construct each structure as well as the distance between houses. A fire that started in town could spread easily from house to house. Brick and masonry buildings were highly preferred to wooden buildings. Interestingly, through the work of the Sanborn Company changes in sizes of buildings as well as growth in neighborhoods was recorded for the future.

Activity 1: Tracing the Past:

(Upon completion of this activity, students should be able to:

1. Discuss the original reasons for the Sanborn Maps.

2. Make historic assumptions based upon the maps.

QCC Objectives:

Grade 4: Topics/Concepts: A4, A12, E40, E41 Skills: A1, A2, A6, A7, B11, C17, C23

Grade 8: Skills: A1, A2, A10, A11, C20, C25, D38, D39, E45, E53, E56

For this lesson you will need the following images:

Sanborn Map 1889
Sanborn Map 1895
Sanborn Map 1901
Sanborn Map 1913
Sanborn Map 1926
Milledgeville

Suggested Lesson:

1. Give each student a copy of each of the maps.

2. Ask the students to list the changes to the building that are evident on each map.

3. Divide the students into groups. Instruct them to create a time line of change for the mansion in each group.

4. After the groups have finished the time line of change, ask them to give reasons for the changes that they have recorded. (For example, the Mansion became a dormitory which is made for multiple housing. The annex was constructed, which should indicate a change in the population of the college. Over the years, bathrooms and the kitchen are added along with electric lights, a steam boiler and a greenhouse. Many of these changes were made in an effort to "modernize" the building.) What do these changes tell us about the college and/or the time periods?

 

Activity 2: Creating a Sanborn Map

(Upon completion of this activity, students should be able to:

1. Create a Sanborn map of their personal residence.

2. Identify various materials and information necessary to insure a house using 19th century standards.

3. Utilize measurement and mathematical skills to produce a scaled drawing of a structure.)

QCC Objectives:

Grade 4: Skills: A4, E41, E42

Grade 8: Skills: A5, A6, B14, E45, E46, E47, E48, E53, E56

Suggested Lesson:

1. As an assignment, have the students draw a Sanborn-type map of their house, apartment building, trailer, etc.

2. Remind the students that these maps were created for fire insurance documentation. They will need to record the heat, power and water sources for the structure as well as the construction materials used and any structural fireplaces. They will also want to draw the roads that give access to the structure.

(If there is a student whose house has been modified, he/she might want to show the additions that have been made.)

***NOTE: A school building can be substituted as a resource for this activity.

3. Older students with more advanced mathematical skills might be interested in drawing the structure to scale which would integrate measurement activities into the lesson.

Activity 3: Writing to Explore Ideas

(Upon completion of this activity, students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate creative writing skills using historically based information.)

 

QCC Objectives:

Grade 4: Skills: A2, A4, A5, A6, A8, B10, B15, B16

Grade 8: Skills: A2, A4, A6, A7, A8, A10, A12, B14, B15, B16, B17

For this lesson, you will need the following image:
The Fire

Suggested Lesson:

1. Give a copy of the newspaper article describing the fire at the Governor's Mansion in 1870 to each student. Ask the students to imagine that they lived in Milledgeville in 1870 and that they either witnessed the fire or that they are a newspaper reporter. They can choose one of the following activities:

A. Write a letter home or a diary entry describing the fire, paying close attention to details.

B. Interview someone who was present at the fire for a front page article. The student may want to create a front page complete with headline, article and illustration.

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