Guide to the Records in the City Archives

This Guide was created by the staff of the City of Boston Archives with funding from a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). The Guide is organized by departmental record groups and provides brief historical information and descriptions of record series under each department. The numbering scheme was modeled after the system used by the Seattle Municipal Archives. The first two digits represent the record group or collection, the second two digits represent a division/office or predecessor department under that department and the last three digits represent the record series. The historical information in the Guide was derived from multiple sources including city records, municipal registers, and laws and ordinances. The index includes alternate names, subordinate departments/divisions, as well as, obsolete or predecessor department/committee/program names. Links are provided to available finding aids throughout the Guide. The finding aids can also be accessed on the finding aids page of the City Archives website. 




Index page

A - D

Administrative Services Department (8000)
Annexed cities and towns (1xxx)
Arts, Tourism and Special Events (0272)
Assessing Department (2100)
Auditing Department (2200)  
Boston, Town of (1000)
Boston Centers for Youth and Families (6000)
Boston Housing Authority (9000)
Boston Licensing Board (8400)
Boston Management Consortium (9706)
Boston Redevelopment Authority (4010)
Budget Office (2300) 
City Clerk, Office of the (0300)
City Council (0100)
Civil Rights, Office of (6200)
Consumer Affairs and Licensing (0271)
Criminal Justice, Mayor's Office of (0278)

E-M

Economic Development and Industrial Corporation of Boston (4020) 
Elderly Commission (9702)
Election Department (4700)
Emergency Shelter Commission (9703)
Environment Department (5200)
Finance Commission (9701)
Fire Department (0500) 
Inspectional Services Department (5400) 
Institutions, Public (8500) 
Intergovernmental Relations (0275)
Law Department (0700)
Mayor, Office of the (0200)
Model Cities Administration (8100)

N-Z

Neighborhood Development (Public Facilities Department) (7600)
Neighborhood Services, Office of (0276)
Non-City records (9800)
Parks and Recreation Department (4400)
Planning Board (4030)
Police Department (0600)
Printing Department (3100)
Property and Construction Management (4300)
Public Health Commission (7000)
Public Library (2900)
Public Welfare Department (8700)
Public Works Department (5000)
Rent Equity Board (9705)
Retirement Board (2700)
School Department (0400)
South End Project Area Committee (SEPAC) (9707) 
Suffolk County (8200)
Transit Department (8300)
Transportation Department (5100)
Treasury (2400)
Veterans' Services (6400)