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1943 Map of Shrewsbury

Name: 1943 Topographic Map of Shrewsbury
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1943
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1943

About this map

Shrewsbury and the surrounding Worcester County highlands are defined by a complex landscape of glacial hills and managed waters during the early 1940s. The northern reaches are dominated by the Wachusett Reservoir, showing detailed shorelines at Lord Cove and Andrews Harbor. This era represents a significant period of institutional development in the region, with the large campuses of the Masonic Hospital, Worcester Hospital, and Grafton State Hospital occupying prominent positions near the town centers.

Industrial and transport networks are deeply integrated into the terrain, from the New York New Haven and Hartford RR cutting through the northeast to the Boston Worcester Turnpike bisecting the southern half. Local life is centered around numerous named ponds and meadows like Slocum Meadow and Lake Quinsigamond, while the numerous summits—ranging from Faggot Hill to Ghost Hill—illustrate the varied elevations that shaped early 20th-century road patterns.