What Is “Mapping Penn”?

 

“Mapping Penn: Land Acquisitions, 1870 – 2007” is an online mapping application that allows users to access, analyze and map data about University of Pennsylvania properties based on University Archive records.  These records incorporate 12 data elements, grouped into two categories:

• Land Purchase and Sale Data
• Parcel and Location Data

 

The website is designed to assist University-based planning and development, scholarly research and the general public in efforts to analyze, interpret and understand the history of the growth of the University of Pennsylvania campus in West Philadelphia.  The online mapping and reporting tools can be used to focus on a specific lot, name, year, or address.  Users are able to create maps, reports, and queries.

 

This User Guide highlights the features and functions available in the application.  The user may rely on standard hardware and software in accessing and utilizing the site (recommended web-browser: Internet Explorer 7.0 or higher, using a Windows platform). 

 

Table of Contents

 

1. Overview /Main Page
2. Main Toolbar
3. Navigation Menu/Legend
4. Search Queries
5. Results/Details Report
6. Data Dictionary

 

1.         Overview/Main Page

 

 

2.         Main Toolbar

The toolbar allows you to interact with the map by clicking on the map with a tool. For example, if you click in the toolbar on the Zoom In tool, then click on the map, the map will zoom in around where you click.

Note: Some tools do an action immediately. These include the Full-extent tool.

• In the toolbar, click on the tool you want to use.
• Move the cursor over the map. The cursor may change to indicate the tool you are using.
• Click on the map with the left mouse button. Note: Some tools work by depressing the mouse and dragging the cursor to draw a rectangle, line or polygon, then releasing the mouse button.
• The results depend on the tool. The map appearance may change, such as zooming in or out. Or the results may appear in the Results section, such as with the Identify tool.

Name	Icon	Description
Zoom in		Click and drag a rectangle: Click and hold the left mouse button down on the map at one corner of the rectangle to zoom in to. Drag the mouse to the other corner of the rectangle, and release the mouse button. The map will zoom in to the area of the rectangle.
Zoom out		Click and drag a rectangle: the map will zoom out so that the current map area will fit into the rectangle drawn. The smaller the rectangle you draw, the more the map will zoom out.
Pan (recenter)		Click and drag the map: Click and hold the left mouse button on the map, and drag the map. The map will be recentered, with the location dragged at the location you dropped it.
Full extent		Full extent: Immediately zooms the map out to the area of all features and layers. The active tool does not change.
Identify		Click to identify: Click with the left mouse button on the map to identify any property and pull up a small details window.
Print Map		Click to Print Map:  Map will open with legend in new menu; follow Print window settings and instructions (you may need to set your browser to “allow pop-ups” to see the new window).

 

 

3.         Navigation Menu/Legend

 

The Legend section of the map controls which layers appear on your map.  By clicking the check box next to each option, you can view or remove the following layers from the Main Map:

• Parcels and Buildings:  displays the parcel outlines or building footprints, respectively, for the entire Main Map
• Acquisition Date:  displays distinct color blocks for University properties acquired during 10-year spans beginning in 1870 (e.g. 1881-1890, 1951-1960, etc.)
• Other Layers:  Other administrative layers can be displayed to customize the map:

 

 

4.         Search Queries

 

You can search for properties by location and date of acquisition.  Selecting one of the search options opens a separate window where you can enter or select search criteria such as street name, building name, seller name and date purchased:

 

• Find by Year and Name
• Find by Year and Block
• Find by Address
• Find by Year

 

 

Click “Find” to display search results in the Results window.

 

5.         Results and Details Report

 

Properties matching your search criteria are displayed in an expandable menu in the Results window. 

 

 

Clicking on a plus ( + ) sign will expand the results and show property details.  Right-clicking on any address will allow you to Zoom to that property on the map or remove the property from the results list.   Clicking on the link for the Reg. Map No. will open a separate window with a printable property report:

 

 

 

6.         Data Dictionary

 

About the Mapping Penn Data Dictionary

This data dictionary provides simple definitions for each data element in the Mapping Penn application using the following format:
 
Data Element Name
Brief definition including any special notes or considerations 

 

Data elements are organized alphabetically.

 

Address

Street address commonly associated with parcel.  Addresses were taken from the deed records at the Department of Records, City of Philadelphia; the Deed Registry data maintained by the Department of Records; deed records in the collections of the University Archives and Records Center, University of Pennsylvania (transferred from the Office of the Treasurer, University of Pennsylvania); and Sanborn fire insurance atlases in the collections of the University Archives.

 

Area

Square foot area measure of the parcel.  These figures were calculated with GIS software and not taken from the legal descriptions found in the deed records.

 

Book/Page

Philadelphia deed book title, volume number, and page assigned to each land transaction by the Department of Records, City of Philadelphia.  All Philadelphia land records are available to the public at the Department of Records.  In 2000, the Department of Records stopped using the deed book title, volume number, and page system and began assigning a single, unique transaction number to each land transaction.

 

Buyer/Grantee

Personal or corporate name of the party who acquired the property.  In the majority of cases this will the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania or a corporate entity which is or was controlled by the University (such as, OAP, Incorporated; Pegasus, Incorporated; Thomas W. Evans Museum and Institute Society; University City Associates, Incorporated; Veronica, Incorporated) or agencies that acquired land for the University’s use (such as, the General State Authority and Pennsylvania Higher Educational Facilities Authority).

 

Date

Date of the land transaction.

 

Notes

Any special information regarding a parcel, e.g., information which does not conform to data standards.

 

Property File Number

File number assigned to the property by the Office of the Treasurer, University of Pennsylvania.

 

Price

The consideration for which the property was sold.  The price refers to all parcels contained in each land transaction and may not represent the price of an individual parcel.  The user should note that many land transactions include several parcels of land.

 

Registry Plan No.

The unique Deed Registry Plan and Plot Number assigned to the parcel by the Department of Records, City of Philadelphia.

 

Seller/Grantor

Personal or corporate name of the party who sold the property.

 

Transaction Notes

Any special notes regarding the transaction, such as any mortgage or other conditions to which the property is subject.

 

Type

Type of land transaction, such as deed or lease.

 

Sources

 

Unless otherwise noted in the Transaction Notes, all the data for Mapping Penn was taken directly from the deed records at the Department of Records, City of Philadelphia and the deed records in the collections of the University Archives and Records Center (transferred from the Office of the Treasurer, University of Pennsylvania).  Please note that the data on the Registry Plan numbers was compiled from the Department of Records’ Deed Registry Plans, now available on-line at ParcelBase.