Historic Resources
This committee meets the second Wednesday of the month via Zoom. Please contact rhonda@aiahouston.org if you are interested in joining.
Lunch Sponsor Wood Window Workshop
Research & Archives
Architectural Drawings
- Architectural Archives Database: Houston Metropolitan Research Library architectural drawing database
Research Guides
Genealogy
Maps
- Houston Historic District Maps: Local designated district maps; PDFS in "Boundaries" section of each district page
- Houston Past
- Library of Congress Historic Maps
- Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps: 1877-1907, color maps, University of Texas, open access
- Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps: 1885-1955, black and white maps; Houston Public Library, card required
- Texas Historic Sites Atlas, Texas Historical Commission: State and National historic designated properties
Newspapers
- Library of Congress Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
- Houston Public Library Newspapers Resources Online HPL card required
- Newspaperarchive.com: paid subscription required
- Newspapers.com: paid subscription required
Audio & Video
- Building Houston Oral Histories
- Houston Oral History Project
- Texas Archive of the Moving Image: movies, films, ads, television, corporate productions
Photographs
- Bob Bailey Studios Photographic Archive, Briscoe Center for American History
- University of Houston Digital Library Photograph Collections
Multiple Media
- Harris County Appraisal District: property information, parcel maps
- Harris County Archives: building and land assessment cards and photos
- Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library: digital and physical photos, architectural drawings, rare books, ephemera, journals, pamphlets, maps, oral histories, and more
- Library of Congress, American Memory: maps, manuscripts, video, music, photos, recordings, books and more
- Texas Archival Resources Online: search engine for multiple collections throughout Texas
- Woodson Research Center: Rice University special collections, digital and physical materials
- Houston Area Digital Archive: Houston Public Library
- Portal to Texas History: University of North Texas database of multiple types of materials from multiple sources
- Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research: digital and physical materials
- African American Library at the Gregory School: digital and physical materials: books, periodicals, photos, oral histories, manuscripts, newspapers, family archives, ephemera
- Museum of Houston: digital and physical materials from multiple collections
- Houston Freeways: book, maps & photos
- Briscoe Center for American History: University of Texas at Austin, digital and physical materials
Local, State and Federal Historic Preservation Programs & Tax Incentives
Houston
- Historic Preservation Office: Houston Planning & Development Department
- Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission (HAHC)
- HAHC Meeting Documents
- HoustonPreservation.org: HAHC Blog
- Planning a Project: guidance for working on locally historic designated properties
- Historic Districts: property lists, maps, photos, defining characteristics
- Landmarks and Protected Landmarks
- Historic Landmark & Protected Landmark Plaque Order Form: (PDF)
- Economic Incentives for Historic Buildings (PDF)
Harris County
Texas
United States
Design Standards and Technical Recommendations
- Historic Preservation Manual: City of Houston
- Preservation Briefs: National Park Service
- The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards
Preservation and History Organizations
Houston
- AIA Houston Historic Resources Committee
- The Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park
- Historic Houston
- Houston History Alliance
- Houston Mod
- Preservation Houston
- Pier and Beam, Preservation Houston
