Introduction
A select list of titles to which we frequently refer researchers. Although this page provides electronic links to resources housed at Western Libraries and/or the Goltz-Murray Archives Building, please note that some of these (and additional) resources can also be accessed through Whatcom County Library system or at the Whatcom Museum. Please contact us or staff at other repositories if you are trying to find information about a particular location or topic.
Guides to Architectural Styles
A Field Guide to American Houses by ISBN: 0394739698Publication Date: 1984-05-12The guide that enables you to identify, and place in their historic and architectural contexts, the houses you see in your neighborhood or in your travels across America. 17th century to the present.
Sears, Roebuck Catalog of Houses 1926 by ISBN: 0486267091Publication Date: 1991-06-01Excellent reproduction of rare catalog illustrates and describes 86 different types of houses and bungalows still in evidence across America. Over 300 photographs, illustrations and floor plans with full descriptions comprise an invaluable sourcebook for study, authentication or restoration of antique articles or architecture.
Resources about Whatcom County
- Atlases of Whatcom County.Atlases published by the Kroll and Metzger Map companies are available in the Reference Library at the Goltz-Murray Archives Building.
- Bellingham and Whatcom County directoriesVarious years available at the Goltz-Murray Archives Building, Western Libraries Special Collections, the Whatcom Museum and Bellingham Public Library. City and county directories provide listings of businesses and residents. From 1931, directories include a reverse (street) index, listing names of individuals/businesses who occupied a particular street address.
- Bellingham Herald (microform)Valuable resource for information about historic homes, property development, local residents and history. Microform is also available at Bellingham Public Library. The Center for Pacific Northwest Studies houses original newspapers (select years only -contact repository for details).
- History of Whatcom County byTwo volume history, published in 1926.
- Insurance Maps of Bellingham byProvide detailed views of individual lots and the "footprints" of properties. The Bellingham Public Library, Whatcom Museum and the Goltz-Murray Archives Building house various copies (for different years ranging from 1885-1963) of Sanborn maps of Bellingham, and its predecessor towns of Whatcom, Sehome, Fairhaven, and New Whatcom.
- Newspapers - Bellingham and Whatcom CountyAn array of historic newspapers from the 19th and 20th centuries are available at repositories including the Bellingham Public Library, Western Libraries, the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies and the Washington State Library. Contact these repositories and/or consult their online catalogs to locate newspapers for specific time periods and towns.
Archives & Special Collections
OUR MISSION
Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections provides for responsible stewardship of and access to unique and archival resources in support of teaching, learning and research at Western Washington University and beyond. The Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Special Collections, and University Archives and Records Management work together to document the culture and history of Western, the local community and Pacific Northwest region, and to promote public and scholarly access to holdings.