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1954 Map of Norwich

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Norwich
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

Norwich and its surrounding mill towns are defined by the convergence of the Shetucket River, Quinebaug River, and Yantic River to form the Thames River headwaters. This 1950s survey documents a dense industrial and residential corridor stretching from Baltic and Taftville down to the urban core. The map highlights the city's established social infrastructure, featuring numerous neighborhood schools such as Pearl St Sch and Bishop Sch, alongside the prominent Free Academy and Backus Hospital.

The landscape is characterized by steep hills like Mt Pleasant and Ox Hill that dictated the layout of historic thoroughfares including West Town Street and the New London Turnpike. For genealogists, the map provides precise locations for the Hickory St Cem, Yantic Cem, and several outlying settlements like Newent and Long Society, preserving the spatial relationship between residential wards and the New York New Haven and Hartford rail lines that fueled the valley's economy.