This page is for you if you’ve already signed up to volunteer for the Ballard Historical Society’s Historic Mapping Project and have attended training sessions. Please e-mail Peggy Sturdivant with questions about this project at peggysturdivant@gmail.com.
Project Overview
Mapping Historic Ballard is a community effort to document the rich history of Ballard architecture and provide guidance for preservation of that architectural heritage. The project committee and volunteers are producing a Historic Resource Inventory and related static and web based GIS maps with historic and contemporary data describing homes and other buildings from the many eras of Ballard development.
Background
From the mid- to late-1800s, Ballard grew from a settlement into a town. The 1500+ residents incorporated as the City of Ballard in 1890. For 17 years the City’s maritime and logging economy fueled development of roads, utility systems, homes, businesses, schools and all the stuff of life. In 1907, the City of Ballard’s then 17,000 citizens were annexed to Seattle after a 1906 vote. Homes and commercial buildings of distinctive styles were added to the neighborhood during several 20th century building booms. The current wave of demolition and growth is destroying much of Ballard’s historic architecture and the local stories and heritage it represents.
Local architect Davidya Kasperzyk and the Ballard Historical Society envisioned this project to develop an Historic Resource Inventory of current Ballard architecture and compile it in new static and GIS web maps with data from historic maps, photos and other sources. The project is funded through a Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Small & Simple Grant.
Volunteer work and training
Resources for volunteers:
- Common Ballard Roofs
- Ballard Buildings Overview
- How to distinguish cladding Cladding slide 1 Cladding Slide 2
The volunteer work is in three categories: 1. Historic Inventory Survey (training was in January and field work will be completed by end February), 2. GIS data work (ongoing) and 3. General Support.
Historic Inventory Team Training
We will survey about 8,000 structures. Ambitious! We need people to actually look at a parcel from the sidewalk, photograph and record its condition, and determine its style. Volunteers already attended background and training sessions in late January.
GIS Team
Maps are built on data. The first step for the GIS Team is entering existing historical data so that it becomes useful for this mapping project. This helps the street team know what exists or has existed at a parcel and for the information entered to feed directly into the new map. One of the new maps will also include 70+ nominations for Ballard Iconic sites. We welcome help from those with GIS and coding experience.
General Support Team
Beyond the Street Inventory and GIS teams there are additional needs: researching archives, historic fact checking, entering simple data, organizing photographs and providing general support for training and events. Please e-mail Peggy Sturdivant with questions about this project at peggysturdivant@gmail.com.
Press and Links
Project:
http://www.ballardnewstribune.com/2015/11/19/news/bhs-project-map-historic-ballard-launches
Related:
Facebook: Mapping Historic Ballard.