1955 Map of Roselle

About this map

South Mountain Reservation and the Watchung Reservation anchor this mid-century portrait of suburban expansion in Union and Essex Counties. The urban grid is dense across Roselle Park, Summit, and Maplewood, yet it is strikingly punctuated by extensive green belts and water resources like Canoe Brook and Reservoir No 1. The map documents a landscape of established institutions and recreation, featuring numerous golf courses and schools such as Our Lady of Sorrows Sch and Kent Place Sch. Industrial and logistical hubs are evident through the Baltusrol Quarry and the sprawling corridors of the Lackawanna RR and Lehigh Valley RR. This 1955 revision, based on wartime photography, illustrates the rapid maturation of the suburban corridor just before the full impact of the interstate highway system, as the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike begin to redefine local movement.