Teaching with Historic Places Sources of Evidence Guide

Finding Primary and Secondary Sources of Evidence
Places have stories to tell, but do not always speak in a language that is easy for most of us to understand. The following is a list of the kinds of sources that can help those preparing educational materials know what story they want to tell. They also can help students understand and learn from that story.

You will not use all of these sources, of course. National Register nomination files contain descriptions of the property, historical background and analysis of significance, photographs, maps, a bibliography, and sometimes other materials. Information in the Register file should be enough to give you a sense of the historical context of the place you want to use and to indicate what the focus of your lesson plan should be. The Register files can also provide some material for readings from which students gather the background information they need to determine the facts about the place. Some files provide all of the materials needed for a lesson plan. Where needed, information in the National Register files can be supplemented with material from other general information sources listed below. The other categories can supply additional written and visual evidence that will illustrate what you want to teach and make the place come alive for the students.

This list also includes some suggestions on where these sources of information can be found.

GENERAL INFORMATION(usually secondary sources)

National Register documentation

Published histories

Unpublished histories

Walking tours

HISTORICAL PUBLISHED MATERIALS

General or local histories

Textbooks

Newspapers--News articles, Editorials, Cartoons

Guidebooks

Travellers' accounts

HISTORICAL UNPUBLISHED WRITTEN MATERIALS

Diaries

Correspondence

MAPS

Historical

Real estate atlases, esp. Sanborn maps

Modern

PICTORIAL INFORMATION

Paintings and sketches

Woodcuts, lithographs, engravings, etc.

Bird's eye views

Postcards and souvenir views

Historic photographs

Modern photographs

Architectural drawings (plans and elevations)

MONUMENTS AND PUBLIC ART

War memorials

Statues and other sculpture

Fountains

Town squares or other public spaces

PUBLIC RECORDS

Census data

Tax records

Building permits

Deeds

Inventories

Legislation (proposed and enacted)

Transcripts of legislative debates

Court cases

RECORDS OF ORGANIZATIONS

Churches

Chambers of Commerce

Clubs

Fraternal organizations

PEOPLE

Living witnesses

Taped oral histories

ARTIFACTS

Furniture

Tools/implements/machinery

Clothing

SIGNS

Street Signs

Historic markers

Cornerstones

Commercial signage

PLACES TO LOOK
National Register of Historic Places
State or local libraries
State or local historical societies
State-wide or local non-profit preservation organizations
State historic preservation offices
Local universities and colleges
U.S. Bureau of the Census (regional offices)
State, county, or local courthouses
Organizations

People