Plats of proposed land developments, filed with the Land Office, 1908-1974, 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 book references. The series includes plats of proposed condominium developments, dating from 1973, and survey and easement plats. Also available on film for 1908-1963 in series SM204 where the records are referenced with consecutive numbers assigned by the Land Office. These references will be suppressed in favor of the Archives system and clerk's recordation information. The filing of subdivision plats with a state agency stems from a law passed in 1908 (Ch. 619) that established a preliminary method of regulating land development in Prince George's County. Along with two copies of a plat, one being forwarded to the Land Office, the land owner was required to file a petition listing the tract(s) in the subdivision, providing references to deeds, and certifying that the boundary lines did not conflict with other developments and that the subdivision name was unique. The petitions were handled as equity proceedings, and the case numbers were often noted on the plats. The same legislation allowed owners of existing subdivisions to have earlier plats copied from the land record books and changed to comply with the new law. Later the authority for approval of subdivisions became vested in the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (Ch. 118, Acts of 1922), replaced by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (Ch. 448, Acts of 1927). Access available in electronic form created from the Archives accession database and (Plats, Index) in series C2384. Earlier subdivision, survey, and easement plats are found in (Plat Book) in series C2381 and (Plats from Land Records) in series C2389 and C2380.

• MARYLAND STATE ARCHIVES (Subdivision Plats, PG) SM204 1908-1963