1943 Map of Natick

About this map

The Sudbury River and Charles River define the hydraulic character of this suburbanizing landscape west of Boston in the early 1940s. The map illustrates a dense concentration of educational and social institutions, with the sprawling campuses of Wellesley College, Regis College, and the Babson Institute marking significant land use outside the primary residential cores. The transportation network is dominated by the Boston and Albany railroad lines and the established Worcester Turnpike, which fueled the growth of villages like Wellesley Hills and Auburndale. Local life is anchored by family-centered landmarks such as Morse Hospital and the Walnut Hill Sch in Natick, while numerous cemeteries like Dell Cem and Woodlawn Cem provide essential data points for genealogical research. The transition from town centers to wooded hills like Maugus Hill and Reeves Hill reveals the region's mid-century topography before modern highway expansion.