User Guide

Getting Started

The New Haven Building Archive is a collaborative platform where you can contribute information about buildings in New Haven. This guide will walk you through the process of creating an account, navigating the site, and adding your contributions.

Using the Site

Looking for a particular building? Navigate to the "map" tab where you can access the building database, then enter in the building name or address into the search bar. The search also can be narrowed down using the many filtering options for specific categories.

The map can toggle between 2D and 3D mode, and you can click on the colored dots to see more information about a building. In the 3D mode, press down "shift" on your keyboard to rotate your view, and press the "+" and "-" buttons to zoom in and out.

Just want to explore? Use the tabs in the top navigation bar to guide you on specific explorations such as featured entries and walking tours.

There are many ways to contribute to the archive. First, you'll need to create an account.

Creating an account will allow you to write comments and upload your own building research. You will also be able to create and upload to the site your own walking tours, which will be visible to the public.

Follow these steps to contribute:

• —Navigate to the "Log In" page. You can access it through the top navigation bar
• —Click "Register." Fill in a username of your choice and create a password
• —Once registered, you can refresh the page and log in to start contributing

Once you have created an account and logged in, you can start creating new building entries.

To upload an entry, navigate to the "create" page. Each entry includes detailed information about a building's history, architecture, and current use.

• —Navigate to the "Create" page from the header menu
• —Fill in the building's basic information (name, address, current use, etc.)
• —Add building characteristics (style, era, neighborhood, uses)
• —Write narrative descriptions (overview, physical description, social history)
• —Consult any sources? Add your list of sources at the very end. Also, if you cite any sources in your writing, use the endnote function (look for the superscript symbol above every text box). This tool will automatically create a textbox where you can enter your endnote, which will appear underneath each subsection. You may add and delete how many endnotes as you'd like. These endnotes will populate on its own at the end of the building entry page.
• —On the next page, upload images of the building, and enter captions and photo attributions for each
• —Submit your entry to add it to the archive

Note: All new entries you create will be automatically associated with your account, allowing you to edit them later.

The Dashboard is your personal workspace where you can view and manage all the building entries you've created.

• —Access your Dashboard from the header menu (visible when logged in)
• —View all buildings you've created in one place
• —Click on any building card to view its full details
• —Edit your entries by visiting the building detail page and clicking "Edit Building"

Important: Building entries created before 2026 were not automatically associated with user accounts. If you created entries before this date, they may not appear in your dashboard. However, you can still view and edit them if you have been granted explicit edit access by an administrator. If you have any questions or would like to request edit access for your entries, please contact us at yump@yale.edu with your username and the entries you would like to edit.

Editing Online Entries

See any errors anywhere or areas where you would like to contribute more information? Website admins have the ability to oversee and edit all building entries on the archive. If you would like to edit an entry made by another user, or make some tweaks here and there, contact us at yump@yale.edu.

Uploading a Tour

New feature coming soon…

Need Help?

If you have questions about contributing to the archive or need assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Contact us at yump@yale.edu