1953 Map of Lake Placid

About this map

Whiteface Mtn dominates the center of this High Peaks landscape, which in the early 1950s was already becoming a major hub for tourism and recreation. The Whiteface Mtn Memorial Highway and Wilmington Toll Road snake up the slopes, while the settlement of Lake Placid sits to the south near its namesake lake and Mirror Lake. Significant local history is anchored at the John Browns Grave historic site and numerous family-named burial grounds like Malbone Cem and Davis Cem. Industrial echoes remain in the form of charcoal or lime production sites at Middle Kilns and West Kilns, contrasting with the whimsical mid-century development of North Pole near Wilmington. The map captures a moment of transition where old Adirondack settlements like Franklin Falls and Keene coexist with an expanding infrastructure of ski trails and a Municipal Airport.