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1939 Map of Providence

Name: 1939 Topographic Map of Providence
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1939
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1939

About this map

The industrial and institutional heart of Rhode Island is captured here in the late 1930s, centered on the dense urban core of Providence and expanding into the mill towns and residential suburbs of Cranston and North Providence. The Woonasquatucket River and Providence River serve as the city's lifelines, lined with infrastructure like the Wilkes Barre Pier and State Pier. Educational and civic life is anchored by prominent campuses including Brown University, Providence College, and the State Capitol.

Neighborhoods such as Olneyville, Elmwood, and Auburn are intricately detailed, showing the tightly packed street grids serviced by the New York New Haven and Hartford RR. Extensive green spaces and historic resting places, from Roger Williams Park to the sprawling North Burial Ground, provide a counterpoint to the commercial waterfront. Maritime navigation is marked by harbor landmarks like the Fuller Rock LH and Sabin Point LH as the river opens toward the bay.