1956 Map of Salem

About this map

The coastal harbor of Salem and its surrounding North Shore industrial towns appear in significant mid-century detail during this mid-1950s survey. Dense urban centers in Peabody City and Beverly City are shown at a time of post-war expansion, with the Newburyport Memorial Highway and numerous interchanges cutting through the landscape. Distinctive cultural landmarks like the House of Seven Gables and Derby Wharf stand on the Salem Harbor waterfront, while the massive footprint of the Danvers State Hospital dominates the western hills near Hathorne. Inland, the landscape retains traces of its agrarian and institutional past, including the County Agricultural Sch and the County Industrial Farm. From the maritime activity at the Salem Terminal Wharf to the quiet grounds of Harmony Grove Cemetery, the map preserves the exact street-level layout and institutional geography of Essex County during a period of rapid suburbanization.