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1956 Map of Reading

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Reading
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

The Schuylkill River defines the industrial and residential heart of this mid-century landscape, winding through a dense network of iron and rail infrastructure. Both the Reading RR and Pennsylvania RR traverse the river valley, connecting the central city of Reading to surrounding boroughs like West Reading, Shillington, and Wyomissing. The map reveals a highly structured urban environment, where established institutions like Albright College and the Charles Evans Cemetery stand alongside the emerging post-war suburbs of Kenhorst and Montrose.

South of the urban core, the terrain rises sharply toward Neversink Mountain and Mount Penn, where Skyline Drive offers a vantage point over the valley. The transition from the dense street grids of College Heights and Hyde Park to the wooded tracts of Sheerlund Forests and the Mohnton Boy Scout Camp highlights the era's balance between industrial growth and the preservation of large natural spaces like Angelica Park.