1952 Map of Germantown

About this map

Wissahickon Creek carves a deep green valley through this mid-century landscape, separating the dense residential blocks of Germantown and Mt Airy from the steep terrain of Roxborough. The map documents a highly developed suburban and urban corridor just after the war, defined by the competing lines of the Reading RR and Pennsylvania RR. These rail lines fostered established communities like Jenkintown, Glenside, and Chestnut Hill, where local life centered around a dense network of institutions including Beaver College and the Philadelphia Cricket Club.