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1946 Map of Boston South

Name: 1946 Topographic Map of Boston South
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1946
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1946

About this map

Harvard University and the Mass Institute of Technology anchor the northern bank of the Charles River Basin, documenting the mid-century density of academic and medical institutions. This urban landscape is defined by its extensive healthcare and civic infrastructure, including the Mass General Hospital and the sprawling Boston City Sanatorium. To the south, the terrain shifts into a series of residential neighborhoods and prominent green spaces like Franklin Park, which contains a Zoological Garden.

The map reveals a heavily developed coast where industry and defense meet the sea at Boston Inner Harbor. Military installations such as Ft Winthrop on Governors Island and Ft Independence at Castle Island stand alongside major transport hubs like Logan Airport. For genealogists, the numerous large burial grounds, including Forest Hills Cem and Calvary Cem, provide essential landmarks for tracing families in neighborhoods like Dorchester Center and Jamaica Plain.