Plats of proposed land developments, filed with the Land Office, 1945-1974, and since 1974 with the State Archives. Rendered on sheets of linen, mylar, or paper, each plat shows a drawing of the proposed divisions within a parcel of land. Plats bear names of the developer, surveyor, and land owner; scale of drawing; coordinates; courses; distances; approvals and certifications issued by state and local agencies showing legal compliance; recordation and filing dates with the circuit court; and plat number and plat book references. The series encompasses survey and road plats, including some originally recorded in land records, and condominiums beginning in 1967. The records for Anne Arundel County date from 1866 because of laws passed in 1922 (Ch. 211) and 1924 (C. 254) that provided for the recording of plats filed with the circuit court. The clerk was directed to record the documents by transcribing them into books and to retain the originals. The clerk's office assigned a plat number to each filing, beginning with one, and a book and page reference. Inexplicably the earliest plats, filed between 1922 and 1925, were recorded in Books 2, 3, and 4, rather than Book 1. Other plats to be transcribed included existing ones found in one plat book and some stored in tubes. These records, predating 1922, were given plat numbers prefaced by the letters A and B. Apparently this transcription work was postponed until 1940 because the plats were recorded in volumes 11 through 17 interspersed between other surveys dated that year. The 1922 law remained in effect until 1957 when the clerk was directed to record plats by filing the originals or copies in binders. The clerk chose to place copies in post binders and maintain the originals unbound. The same legislation (Ch. 447, Acts of 1957) authorized the clerk's office to make copies of previously filed plats. As a result of these laws passed since 1922 there may be multiple copies of any one plat. Some versions are no longer legible or may be badly damaged. Court ordered amendments or revisions to plats may not appear on all existing copies. Within series S1235 the Archives tried to include the best and most accurate copy of each plat, and for revisions both the original and amended versions. Other copies will be found in (Plat Book) in series C2081 and (Plats, Cabinet File) in series C2259. For most condominiums after 1973, see (Condominium Plats, AA) in series S1489. In 1963 several retracings were done to replace damaged plats and were either recorded in Book C or relabeled with C and a number and inserted in existing volumes. Plat Book D contains only plats of the Tecumseh Townshouses and Hotel-Apartment. The subdivision plats for 1945-1995 are also available on microfilm in series SM42 where the first 777 documents are identified with numbers, beginning with one, assigned by the Land Office. Access available in electronic form, created from the Archives accession database, (Plats, Index) in series C2257, and the records themselves. References are derived from the recordation information used by the clerk's office, rather than the system used by the Land Office.