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1956 Map of Columbia East

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Columbia East
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1989
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1989

About this map

Columbia and the industrial corridor of West Hempfield stand prominently along the banks of the Susquehanna River Lake Clarke in this mid-century survey. The landscape is a complex mix of established borough life and the expanding infrastructure of the 1950s, marked by the prominent lines of Conrail and the Old Railroad Grade cutting through the terrain. Evidence of the region's agricultural roots and small-town expansion is visible in the clusters of schools and churches, including the St Josephs Academy and rural landmarks like Habecker Ch.

Transitioning from the riverfront up into the Manor Hills and Hempfield Hill, the map reveals a community in flux. The purple revisions from the late 1960s and 70s show the growth of residential areas like Mountville and the emergence of modern features such as the Garden Spot Air Park and McGuinness Airport, illustrating how traditional Lancaster County settlements adapted to postwar suburbanization.