1946 Map of Newton

About this map

The Charles River winds through this densely developed landscape just after World War II, defining the boundaries between Middlesex, Norfolk, and Suffolk counties. In this era, the region is a complex web of established suburban villages and institutional anchors, from the Perkins Institution for the Blind in Watertown to the academic grounds of Boston College near the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. The map reveals the heavy footprint of transit and industry, with the Boston and Albany RR cutting through Newtonville and Auburndale, while the US Military Reservation occupies a prominent bend in the river.