Wills sometimes include inventories listing real and personal property along with appraised values. Antigonish Town maps such as the Fire Insurance Maps for 1922 and 1934, provide the researcher with information about the placement of dwellings, street addresses, dimensions and construction materials. These will assist the researcher in pinpointing the location of a building and establishing its antiquity. The St. Francis Xavier University Archives includes among its holdings personal and business correspondence relating to such prominent Antigonish families as the Whiddens, Harts, Bernasconis and Harringtons. There are finding aids to assist with these collections.
Corporate papers are also useful.
For example, the extensive records for St. Francis Xavier University which include correspondence, maps, drawings and blueprints contain important information about the architectural landscape of this institution of higher learning. This collection is also housed at the St. F.X. University Archives. As well, the Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade Files at the Antigonish Heritage Museum offer insight into town planning and the built environment of mainstreet. This inspection will reveal evidence about scale, design, construction material, setting, orientation, and renovations. The Antigonish Casket commenced publication in 1852.