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1896 Map of Philadelphia

Name: 1896 Topographic Map of Philadelphia
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1896
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1896

About this map

The Delaware River serves as the central artery for this 1894 survey, dividing the industrial and residential grid of Philadelphia from the emerging towns of southwestern New Jersey. The Pennsylvania side is dominated by the dense development of neighborhoods like Overbrook and Paschallville, leading down to the confluence with the Schuylkill River. Significant military and maritime sites are positioned along the riverbank, including the U.S. Navy Yard at League Id. and the defensive fortifications at Fort Mifflin.

Across the water in New Jersey, the landscape transitions into a network of smaller boroughs and townships such as Gloucester, Westville, and Woodbury. The era's heavy reliance on rail is evident through numerous lines like the Phila. & Reading R.R. and the West Jersey R.R., which connected these outlying settlements to the urban core. To the south, the terrain opens into the rural tracts of Deptford and Mantua, where landmarks like the Alms House stand near the winding Monongahela Brook.