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1956 Map of Reading

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Reading
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

The Schuylkill River and Tulpehocken Creek converge at Reading, anchoring a dense network of industrial and residential development during the mid-20th century. The city core is surrounded by established boroughs like West Reading, Wyomissing, and Shillington, illustrating the post-war suburban expansion typical of eastern Pennsylvania. Notable educational and religious landmarks such as Albright College, Alvernia College, and Sacred Heart Sch are clearly marked, alongside civic centers like City Hall and the Court House.

Transitioning from the urban grid into the surrounding hills, the landscape reveals significant open spaces like Nolde Forest State Park and the rugged topography of Neversink Mountain. The map details the legacy of earlier industry at Van Reeds Mill while documenting the contemporary infrastructure of the Conrail rail lines and the Reading Municipal General Carl A Spatz Field. This period shows the region as a major hub where commercial corridors like Lancaster Ave and Perkiomen Ave integrate local boroughs with the broader Schuylkill Valley corridor.