Loading map...

1954 Map of Schenectady

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Schenectady
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

The Mohawk River and the historic Erie Canal corridor define the industrial and residential heart of this region in the mid-1950s. The map documents a heavily militarized landscape during the early Cold War, featuring the U S Naval Res Scotia Naval Supply Depot and specialized facilities like the U S Mil Res Niskayuna Modification and Test Plant. Growth is evident in the dense street grids of Schenectady and its surrounding suburbs, from the hilltop neighborhood of Mount Pleasant to the sprawling rail yards in Rotterdam.

Infrastructure is intricately mapped, showing the New York Central RR and Delaware and Hudson RR intersecting near major civic landmarks like Union College and the Nott Terrace High Sch. Significant community landmarks include the Ingersoll Memorial for Aged Men, numerous parochial institutions like St Columbus Sch, and vast green spaces such as Central Park and Vale Cemetery. This survey captures a moment when traditional rail transport and canal history overlapped with the modern development of the New York State Thruway.