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1947 Map of Wappinger Falls

Name: 1947 Topographic Map of Wappinger Falls
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1947
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1947

About this map

The Hudson River serves as the central artery for this mid-century topographic portrait of Dutchess County, where industrial riverfronts meet rising highlands. To the south, the city of Beacon is depicted at a time when the Matteawan State Hospital and the US Veterans Hospital at Castle Point were prominent local institutions. The river itself is a focal point of commerce and navigation, marked by the Danskammer Light and the heavy rail traffic of the New York Central along its eastern bank.

Inland, the landscape is defined by the winding course of Wappinger Creek as it flows through Wappingers Falls and Wappinger Lake. The map details the transition from established villages like Fishkill and Hughsonville to the higher elevations of Beacon Hills and Bald Hill. Local history is preserved in the placement of the Vassar School and Cedar Cliff School, alongside numerous cemeteries and small hamlets like New Hamburg and Chelsea that clustered near the water during this era of post-war growth.