1900 Map of Harlem

About this map

Yonkers and the northern boroughs of New York City dominate this early twentieth-century landscape, appearing at a moment of rapid urban expansion. The intricate street grids of the Bronx and upper Manhattan meet the sprawling greenery of Van Cortlandt Park and the massive Woodlawn Cemetery, while the waters of the Hudson River and East River are active with trade and transit. Notable landmarks such as Grants Tomb along the Riverside Park waterfront and Fort Schuyler on the tip of Throgs Neck overlook the vital shipping channels of Long Island Sound and the Harlem River. Across the Hudson, the steep cliffs of the Palisades rise above New Jersey rail towns like Englewood and Fort Lee. This survey provides a window into the pre-war infrastructure of the region, featuring a dense network of transit lines including the N.Y. Central and Hudson River R.R. and the New York New Haven and Hartford R.R. connecting Westchester and the city.