Collections

The RCHS Mary Livingston Griggs & Mary Griggs Burke Research Center contains non-circulating collections documenting the history of Ramsey County and St. Paul.

The collection contains books, periodicals, city directories, maps, photographs, personal papers, business and organization records, architectural information and materials on clubs, schools, events, and churches.

RCHS is thrilled to offer online access to the St. Paul Building Permit Collection!

Thanks to funding awards over the past 3 years from the Institute for Museum and Library Services and Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants, RCHS worked with Documents 2 Disc, Inc. to digitize the 350,000 St. Paul building permits (1883-1975).
With Beacon Schneider Geospatial and a private funder, RCHS is now able to provide online access to the collection.
This quick and easy subscription process will give you daily, monthly, or yearly access to the entire St. Paul Building Permit Collection.

About the St. Paul Building Permit Collection (1883-1975)

This is a collection of index cards and permit files record permitted work performed on St. Paul houses and building from 1883-1975. These cards record the history of your house or building, including the dates and costs of original construction, additions, alterations, moves, and wrecks (demolition). The information was originally recorded by hand, then written onto cards by WPA workers in the 1930s, which were added to by City of St. Paul staff until 1975, when the system was computerized. Permit records after 1975 reside with the St. Paul Department of Safety and Inspections.

RCHS Archival Collections List 

We welcome you to the Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Research Center  Monday – Thursday, 12:30pm – 4:30pm.

Appointments are strongly encouraged to assure you that will have ready access to one of the two patron computers in the Center.

No food or drink is allowed in the Center.