1956 Map of Lancaster

About this map

The Conestoga River winds past the expanding city of Lancaster, which shows a dense mid-century network of parochial schools, community hospitals, and historical burial grounds. The 1950s urban core is anchored by the Courthouse and City Hall, while its periphery is dotted with neighborhood landmarks like the Monastery of the Perpetual Rosary and the Lancaster Airport to the north. Academic and civic growth is evident through numerous specialized institutions, from McCaskey High Sch to the State Teachers College in the southwest near the Little Conestoga Creek. Suburban expansion is captured in the development of Hamilton Park, Rossmere, and Bloomingdale, reflecting a period of rapid residential change before later modern infrastructure took hold. Genealogists will find particular value in the detailed mapping of older sites like Woodward Hill Cemetery and the Shaurai Shomarim Cem, alongside the regional transportation corridor provided by the Conrail lines.