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1955 Map of The Narrows

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of The Narrows
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

The Narrows separates the growing suburban residential pockets of Staten Island from the dense grid of Brooklyn in the mid-1950s. On the Richmond side, neighborhoods like Dongan Hills and Grasmere sit between the sprawling Moravian Cemetery and the shoreline, while the Staten Island Rapid Transit line provides a vital spine for commuters heading toward the ferry. The landscape is dotted with academic and religious institutions, from Wagner Memorial College on Grymes Hill to the Academy of St Dorothy, illustrating the mid-century development of the borough's interior.

Coastal defenses and maritime infrastructure dominate the waterfront, anchored by Fort Wadsworth and Fort Hamilton guarding the entry to Lower New York Bay. Offshore, the man-made Hoffman Island and Swinburne Island stand as sentinels near the Ambrose Channel. The map also captures the recreational character of the era, showing the Boardwalk at South Beach and the extensive grounds of the Richmond County Country Club before further urban infill altered these open spaces.