This page is designed as a reference aid for searching the fielded data compliled from these sets of nineteenth-century fire insurance surveys. There are thirty fields, each of which is identified and then explained below in the words used as guides during data-entry.
Click on any of the links below for further information on a given field.
| [PLN] | Policy Number | [ARE] | Area (within a county) |
| [PLC] | Policy Number Continuation | [NWD] | Neighborhood or Ward |
| [PLB] | Policy Book Number | [BNO] | Number of Bldgs Insured on This Survey Number |
| [OWN] | Owner's Name | [KPL] | Total Amount in Thousands |
| [X] | First Miscellaneous Field | [FRX] | Dimensions, Front & Depth |
| [MDY] | Month/Day/Year | [Y] | Second Miscellaneous Field |
| [STY] | Number of Stories | [ICO] | Insurance Company |
| [BTP] | Building Type | [PLQ] | Plan Quality |
| [SDC] | Side or Corner | [PTP] | Plan Type |
| [STR] | Street Name | [RSV] | Years of Earliest & Latest Survey Updates |
| [XST] | Cross Street | [COM] | Comments |
| [ADN] | Address Number | [DOE] | Date/Month/Year Entry was First Entered in Database |
| [ADC] | Address Number Continued | [WHO] | Intials of Data Entry |
| [RAW] | Address as Given | [ARC] | Architect's Name |
| [COU] | County (2-letter abbreviation) | [OTH] | Code for Source of Data |
* Either PA for Pennsylvania Fire Insurance Company or FFI for Franklin Fire Insurance Company.
* This is a numeric field. Only digits will be accepted
* These should be unique numbers, but in the very rare cases where different
policies share the same number, you can't differentiate them in this field.
You'll have to do that in the next, PLC.
* Where multiple policy numbers are combined in one survey, this is where
the highest number goes, as if following a dash.
* This is a character field, and can be left blank. (When numeric fields
are left blank a zero will be assigned automatically.)
* Generally the goal will be to make a separate record for each policy number,
with no consecutive grouping by using this field, but some entries made
early will reflect this previous shortcut.
* Where consecutive policies are for identical houses in a row, and for
the same owner, this is where a grouping can be indicated, BUT, the rest
of the policy should be for a single policy number, not the whole group.
This PLC should be used to indicate this only for the first in such a series.
* No leading zeroes are required, and hitting the return key will immediately
position single or two-digit numbers correctly within the field.
* Be sure to hit the numerical "0" rather than the alphabetical
"O" or "o".
* Since this will be alphabetized, re-order things like "trustees
of ..." or "estate of ...", putting them at the end if you
think they're necessary.
* Use abbreviations wherever possible, even in first names, i.e. "WM,
JAS, GEO, etc." No periods need be used for abbreviations or initials.
* Titles like "MD, REV" should follow names.
* if you need more space, use an asterisk near the end of this field and
continue in field X, or a "#" and continue in field Y.
* if date on cover and on inside are different, use the one inside, or
the one you think was done at the same time the description was written.
* the year will be given with two digits, but a 19th-century date is assumed.
* half(c)story given as ".5"
* self(c)justifying: hitting the return after typing a digit will add the
".0" and move to next field.
* take as described in policy unless obviously wrong.
* This is typically found in the first paragraph. Where mutltiple buildings
are insured on a single policy (one policy number, not necessarily one sheet
of paper), the most valuable structure should be given first ending, separated
from the next most valuable with commas, and a "+" where important
additional structures remain. Use a continuation field like X, Y, or COM
if you fell it is merited.
* Some common abbreviations are: DW, DWX3, STORE, ST&DW, CH, SCHL, BARN,
STBL, CHSE, OFFICES, WRHSE, FCTRY * As long as it is clear what you intend,
we can later adopt, unify usage, or correct whatever abbreviations you use.
But adherence to categories will be more important here than verbatim description.
Thus three "stores" or three "shops" will be STX3, a
"storehouse" and a "warehouse" will both be WRHSE.
* Don't be concerned by separate(c)sounding parts of a house, like "piazza,
backbuilding, kitchen, or bathhouse" at the rear of a dwelling. We'll
let them be comprised in the single description "DW".
* if it is a dwelling plus a store or some other combination with a dwelling,
put the other thing first, as in ST&DW, OR TAV&DW.
* give the total number of buildings insured under a single policy number,
i.e DWX2 if two are insured under one policy number. If they each have a
different number assigned, list each as one.
* north side of street in STR is NSD.
* southwest corner is SWC.
* one can also have NESD, EC.
* Mandatory only for Philadelphia properties (present day boundaries). Where certain of differing current name, give that instead, followed by closing bracket, "]".
* if on a corner, this is where you put the name of the second street.
* if block known enough to give hundred, but no more, use periods for
tens and digit place, i.e., between 9th and 10th is "9.."
* this must be manually justified: space to the appropriate starting point
so that digits always end up farthest to the right.
* if it's the highest even number or the highest odd number in a block,
i.e., at the corner, substitute "99" or "98" for the
last two digits. Thus, nec (North East Corner) 9th and Spruce would be 899,
sec (South East Corner) would be 898.
* must be insured under a single policy number.
* just needs last two digits.
* where address will need later translation by laying off distance from
corner, this is needed.
* express that as "22'E/8th" meaning "22 feet east of 8th
Street".
* if modern address, street and number, are fully supplied, RAW is unneccesary,
unless old number is also here.
* if old number, pre(c)1857 renumbering, is given, start this field as "ON="
and then give old number, follow this with ";" and then parameters
for exact location.
* if odd extended description, give verbatim, but abbreviate. "/"=of,
turn yards into feet as ', miles="MI".
* For Philadelphia county,the same as present(c)day Philadelphia city,
"PAPH."
* Otherwise "PA, NJ, DE, ME, DC, NY, VA" for states. "CH,
DE, MO, BU" for Pa. counties nearest Phila. (Chester, Delaware, Montgomery,
Bucks). We'll assemble a list for others.
* Within Philadelphia this MUST be one of ten abbreviations:
* Outside Philadelphia this will be name of township or village.
* In Philadelphia, subdivision smaller than ten city areas, ward as given,
neighborhood name, or district.
* Outside Philadelphia, place description smaller than county and town,
if there is one.
* This has one decimal place for hundreds. For $50 or more, round up
to the next 0.1
* This is usually found on the cover of loose policies. In bound policies
this is normally the highest dollar amount in the left margin at the beginning
of the policy.
* This will also position correctly with a hard return. It sometimes is
deducible from adding the parts insured separately or from stray notations
on the plan or correspondence.
* If it is unavailable, hit the return and zero will be assigned automatically.
* rounded down to nearest foot * front first, followed by "X" then depth * depth is of widest part of main volume, i.e., in row house, not including piazza and backbuilding(c)(c)this is how it is given in the policy
* "G, F, H(c)G, CRU, ARC, OUTL, NONE, N(c)P" for good, fine, homemade but good, crude, architect(c)made, outline only, none given, none given but one for identical prop in nearby policy.
* four digit year, and if multiple updates, then dash, then last two digits of last one, i.e., "1858-75".
* last chance continuation field, keyed by @
* or comment
* add "?" at end if uncertain.
* add " at end if architect's name given in policy.
* add "alt" at end if architect's name is for alteration rather
than for original building.
* "C" means taken from cards.
* "O" means taken from original survey at HSP.
* "SU" means transfered from early version, SURV.DBF
* "PL" means transfered from sampling database, POLL.DBF