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1971 Map of Blue Hills

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Blue Hills
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

The Blue Hills reservation dominates this 1970s landscape, a significant green space that defines the separation between the southern suburbs and the Boston metropolitan area. The topography is marked by a series of prominent peaks, including Great Blue Hill, Chickatawbut Hill, and Nahanton Hill, which stood as natural barriers to early development. By this era, however, the area is characterized by the heavy infrastructure of the highway age, with numerous interchanges along the southern beltway and the Conrail lines serving the industrial and residential corridors of Quincy, Braintree, and Randolph.

Local landmarks such as Curry College and Thayer Academy illustrate the long-standing educational character of these communities, while numerous religious institutions like St Columbkans Seminary and St Marys Sch suggest deep-rooted local parishes. The presence of several large cemeteries, including Blue Hill Cemetery and Lindwood Cemetery, alongside the sprawling State Hospital, reflects the institutional land use patterns common on the periphery of the city during the mid-20th century.