In 2009, the Historic Preservation Trust embarked upon a project to digitally archive a vast array of historical information on each of the properties for which it cares. Now, visitors to our website can browse through this information by clicking here.
Please check the online archives often, as we are frequently adding new information. The HPTBC’s Online Archive is contained within PastPerfect museum collection management software. PastPerfect is approved by the American Association of State and Local History for museums and historical societies.
Document Sets (or DocSets)
In order to easily retrieve certain document types for certain structures, the Trust developed an acronymic system of grouping objects such as photographs, drawings, or field notes. A quick keyword or search terms search using these DocSet designations will retrieve all desired documents within that group. For a list of docset codes and instructions on how to combine them click here.
Search Terms Index
In addition to DocSets, the Trust uses a number of specific search terms throughout the archive. A keyword search generally ignores case sensitivity, punctuation, hyphenation, etc. However, there may be instances where a key record may not be retrieved because we used a term or phrase in a specific way.
Original Materials
In many cases the Trust does not own an original copy of the materials recorded in our archives. The materials were collected from a variety of sources, including private collections, and the digital documentation is the only copy we retain. In addition, due to copyright issues, much archived material is not available for public review. Users wishing to visit the Trust to view originals or to search for non-public records should contact the Trust at 610-385-4762 to schedule an appointment.