Derry archivists to digitise city's historic building plans

Archivists in Derry are working together on an innovative pilot digitisation and cataloguing project which will see hundreds of city’s historic building plans become available to the public for the first time.

As a unique resource for guiding the conservation of Derry’s historic townscape, the collection of Historic Building Plans for Derry will be conserved, digitised and made more accessible.

The new digital versions will help sustain the irreplaceable archive for future generations, historians, educational sector and professionals working in the field of built-heritage conservation.

This unique resource contains plans, elevations and design details for a range of significant buildings and architecture across the city including the Guildhall, the War Memorial, Carlisle Bridge and local schools, churches and residences.

The building plans were submitted for bye-law approval to the old Londonderry Corporation and to the Londonderry Development Commission.

Funded by the NIE’s NGO Challenge Fund, Guildhall Press and Derry City Council’s Archive and Genealogy Service will digitise around 500 plans and make them available to view online on a purpose built website for anyone to access.

A printed catalogue of the collection will be produced and disseminated across the Northwest to libraries, schools, universities and local interest groups. And a portable exhibition will be created for display at community venues and events. A core team of volunteers will be trained in a number of archival and digital skills including conservation, cataloguing and digitisation.

Mayor, Cllr Brenda Stevenson said the initiative was a fantastic opportunity for both organisations to work collectively on such an exciting project.

“This is a fantastic project that will give the general public and researchers greater accessibility to historic buildings of the city through an innovative archival digitsation programme,”