The 19th-century St. Louis fire insurance maps are an important source of historical information to study the growth and development of post-Civil War St. Louis. Originally created for the fire insurance industry, these maps provide the most complete visual record of the evolving built environment in St. Louis, covering commercial, industrial, and residential neighborhoods.

Washington University Libraries and the Missouri History Museum hold approximately 3,300 fire insurance maps produced in St. Louis by Alphonso Whipple between 1870 and 1898. Currently, use of these maps is restricted by their brittle condition, but through this joint digital project, are now being made available to the public.

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