1951 Map of Reading

About this map

Lake Quannapowitt serves as a prominent landmark at the southern edge of this suburban landscape, anchoring the developed centers of Wakefield and Reading. Revised in the early 1950s, the map illustrates a region in transition, where established town centers and industrial rail corridors of the Boston and Maine Railroad coexist with extensive wetlands like Cedar Swamp. The presence of several country clubs, including the Sagamore Springs Golf Club and Colonial Golf and Country Club, alongside the Military Police Camp and Camp Curtis Guild, reflects a diverse mid-century land use pattern ranging from recreation to national defense.