Author: James Collins Jr.

Author: Jay Wickersham

Author: Stefanie Greenfield

Author: Stefanie Greenfield

Author: Joseph Dumbacher,John Dumbacher

The "Canal Map of the State of New York" from 1912 accompanied the State Engineer and Surveyor's report for that year. It shows the path of the new Barge Canal in relation to the existing Erie Canal and other routes in the state's canal system. The map also identifies abandoned canals and canals retained as feeders, and includes an inset with an elevation chart of the Barge Canal. It's a historical document that provides insight into the development and expansion of New York's canal system in the early 20th century.

 The print contains 18 small views: High Bridge ; South Ferry ; City Hall ; Castle Garden ; Croton Reservoir ; Grace Church ; Institution for the Blind ; Post Office ; Merchants Exchange ; Astor-Place Opera-House ; Barnum's Museum & Astor Hose ; Halls of Justice (Tombs) ; Bowling Green ; Astor Library ; Custom House ; Odd Fellows Hall ; University ; Trinity Church.

This map, produced under the direction of Egbert L. Viele, a Topographical Engineer, depicts the original waterways of Manhattan Island with the street grid overlaid. It also distinguishes between three types of land: marsh, made land, and meadow, and includes information on sewer lines. The map includes three cross sections and an inset map of the northern tip of the island. Despite being copyrighted by Viele in 1865, Haskell and Stokes list the date of the map's creation as 1864. It was originally included in the Report of the Council of Hygiene and is known for its full color design, despite its practical subject matter. In 1874, Viele republished the map in a larger format as the Topographical Atlas of the City of New York.

The 'General Map of the City of New York' measuring 27 ft. x 31 ft., the largest of an American city every executed and completed in 6 months - was unveiled at the Paris Exposition of 1900 by Chief Engineer of NY City's Topographical Bureau Louis Aloys Risse.

Relief is shown by hachures. Depths are shown by soundings. Shows wards, streets, wharves, buildings, and ferry routes with distances. Ward names are highlighted in pink.

Prior to New York City's Commissioners' Plan of 1811, the city's Common Council in 1797 commissioned city surveyors Casimir Goerck and Mangin to survey the streets of the city; Goerck died of yellow fever during the course of the surveying, but Mangin completed it and delivered the draft of the Mangin–Goerck Plan to the Council in 1799 for correction of street names; the final engraved version would be presented to the Council in 1803. Unfortunately, Mangin had gone beyond the terms of the commission, and the map not only showed the existing streets of the city, but also, in Mangin's words, "the City ... such as it is to be..." In other words, the plan was a guide to where Mangin believed future streets should be laid out.The Council accepted the Mangin–Goerck Plan as "the new Map of the City" for four years, and even published it by subscription, until political machinations perhaps organized by Aaron Burr, the political enemy of Mangin's mentor Alexander Hamilton, brought the plan into disrepute, and the Council ordered that copies which had already been sold be bought back, and that a label warning of "inaccuracies" be placed on any additional copies sold. Nevertheless, as the city grew, the Mangin–Goerck Plan became the de facto reference for where new streets would be built, and when the Commissioners' Plan was revealed in 1811, the area of the plan which the public had been warned was inaccurate and speculative, had been accepted wholesale by the commission, their plan being almost identical to Mangin's in that area.

Creator: W. WilliamsPublisher: D. Appleton & Co.

John Montresor’s map titled “A Plan of the City of New-York & its Environs” is a significant historical document created in 1766. This detailed map covers the area from Greenwich on the North or Hudsons River to Crown Point on the East or Sound River, showcasing the layout of streets, public buildings, docks, fortifications, and batteries. It also depicts the topography and strategic commanding grounds in and around the city.The map is notable for its scale, approximately 1:6,300, and includes an inset chart showing the entrance to New York from Sandy Hook, highlighting the best channels for sailing along with the banks and depths of water. It was dedicated to the Honorable Thomas Gage and provides a fascinating glimpse into the urban landscape of New York City during the mid-18th century, just before the American Revolution.Montresor was an engineer, and his work reflects the military and strategic importance of New York at the time, with relief shown by hachures and a clear indication of the city’s defenses. The map is part of the collection at the Library of Congress and is a valuable resource for historians and anyone interested in the early cartography of New York City.

The map of New York City and Manhattan, created by the commissioners appointed by the legislature and surveyor William Bridges, depicts ward boundaries, significant buildings, and the names of property owners. It is oriented with north towards the upper right and includes numbered references to various locations within the city. Often referred to as the "single most important document in New York City's development," the map was praised by the commission for its combination of "beauty, order and convenience" due to its use of the grid plan.

1st map to show all NY lots & buildings. The precursor of the fire maps was first published by Perris in 1852, and later, it was published by Sanborn and Bromley. This is the 2nd edition. The border has views of important city buildings.

This map, titled "Plan of the City of New York in North America," was published in 1776 by Bernard Ratzer and engraved by Thomas Kitchin. Surveyed in 1766-67, it includes detailed information about parts of present-day New York City - Manhattan below 60th Street, Brooklyn north of 30th Street and west of Union Avenue, a small part of modern Queens and Jersey City, New Jersey. It depicts built-up and cultivated areas, streets, rural roads, buildings, piers, streams, ponds, wetlands, relief by hachures, and depths by soundings. It also has a dedication to Sir Henry Moore, the then Governor of New York, and a key to various churches and public buildings. Additionally, it comprises a southwest view of the City of New York, taken from the Governors Island, based on a work by Thomas Davies.

The map titled "An accurate plan of the country between New York and Philadelphia: with the dispositions of the forces" was created by Stephen Pyle in 1777. It shows the positions of British (marked in red) and American (marked in blue) forces along the major highways between New York City and Philadelphia during the American Revolutionary War. The map also includes a table of distances between key stopping points along the route, providing valuable strategic information for military operations at the time.

The “Plan of the City and Environs of New Orleans” from 1816, surveyed by B. Lafon, is a historically significant map that provides a detailed view of New Orleans during the early 19th century. This map meticulously outlines the city’s streets, neighborhoods, and key landmarks, offering a comprehensive snapshot of its urban development at the time. Notably, it includes the French Quarter, which remains a cultural and historical hub of the city today. The map also highlights the surrounding areas, including plantations and rural lands, reflecting the agricultural landscape that was integral to the region’s economy.B. Lafon’s survey work is particularly valuable for understanding the city’s growth and planning during a period of significant change and expansion. The map’s inclusion in the 1887 Government Map of New Orleans underscores its continued relevance and importance in historical studies. Additionally, the map provides insights into the city’s infrastructure, such as canals and levees, which were crucial for managing the Mississippi River’s floodwaters. Overall, this map is a vital resource for historians, urban planners, and anyone interested in the rich history of New Orleans.

The “Plan of New Haven” from 1817, created by Amos Doolittle, is a detailed map of New Haven, Connecticut. It shows the city’s layout, including streets and buildings, with relief indicated by hachures. The map also includes notes and a short geographical description of New Haven. This historical document provides valuable insights into the urban development of New Haven in the early 19th century.

Map made by Adriaen Block of his 1614 expedition to North America. It is the first map to show Long Island as an island. It is also the first appearance of the term New Netherland to describe the colony (17th century drawing).

The Castello Plan of New Amsterdam is a map of the early Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam, which later became New York City. The map was created in 1660 by Jacques Cortelyou, General Governor of Nieuw Amsterdam at that time, and is one of the earliest surviving maps of New Amsterdam. The map shows the layout of the settlement, including the locations of streets, buildings, and fortifications. It also includes illustrations of various landmarks and features of the city, such as the town hall, the church, and the governor's house. The Castello Plan is an important historical document as it provides a detailed record of the early development of New Amsterdam and is one of the few surviving primary sources from this period of the city's history. It is now housed in the New York Historical Society in New York City. It was discovered in 1900 at the Villa di Castello near Florence, Italy, where it had remained. Shown here is the version that was redrawn by John Wolcott Adams and Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes, and given its current name in 1916.

Considered to be one of the best visual records of pre-Revolutionary Boston, this map is an updated version of the map first published by John Bonner in 1722. After his death in 1726, his partner William Price assumed sole ownership of the Boston Plan, to which he added a decorative cartouche, and numerous streets in the south and west and along Boston Neck. Like the original one from 1722, this map includes a list of buildings with the year of their construction, a list of fires in the city from 1653 to 1711 and a list of occurrences of smallpox.

The map prepared by the local committee for the use of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. It includes key to buildings in and about College Yard and a list of Harvard buildings more than a century old, and other places of interest in Cambridge.

Captain John Bonner's map of Boston, created before the city's coastline was altered by landfill, combines plan and perspective views to depict settlement patterns and the city's thriving maritime economy. The shipping in the harbor is meticulously illustrated, while the topography is simplified. The map also highlights areas where Native American artifacts were discovered, showcasing the history of the land before European settlement in 1630. This map includes a list of buildings with the year of their construction, a list of fires in the city from 1653 to 1711 and a list of occurrences of smallpox.

Chandler view of New Amsterdam in 1660: the present southern end of Manhattan Island, New York City

Published by Benjamin Norman in 1845, this plan was based on the survey done by civil engineer Henry Moellhausen and was engraved by Shields & Hammond of New Orleans. It illustrates municipality boundaries, ward lines, and fire limits, with major buildings named and identified by color. The map also references street names, block numbers, canals, railways, public squares, cemeteries, and key buildings with a list at the bottom of the map. Lafayette is shown in the west, with Macdonogh and Algiers shown south of the River.

The 1759 Plan of New Orleans, published by Thomas Jefferys, is based on Pierre Le Blond de La Tour's 1720 plan, and includes features such as levees, gutters, and footbridges for flood control, as drawn by Jacque Nicolas Bellin in his 1744 plan. The plan is accompanied by two insets depicting the east mouth of the Mississippi and its course from Bayagoulas to the Sea. The city plan illustrates various structures, including buildings, gardens, lots, magazines, and vegetated areas.

The map titled "Plan of part of the River Delaware from Chester to Philadelphia" was created by John Hunter in 1778. It provides a detailed view of the Delaware River, marking the positions of British ships on November 15, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War. The map also highlights obstructions placed in the river by American rebels to impede navigation, such as chevaux de frise (obstacles designed to damage ships). Additionally, it includes soundings to indicate water depths and other strategic details relevant to the military operations of that time.

Using conventional cartographic techniques and orientation, the artist views Cambridge from the south southwest as if he hovers above Brighton looking north across the Charles River. His presentation includes all of Cambridge, encompassing its several neighborhoods and their varied functions. The original village center focusing on Harvard Square and Harvard University is positioned just right of center, while Cambridgeport with its numerous commercial activities clustered around Central Square is placed left of center. Meanwhile, East Cambridge with its industrial activities is located in the upper right hand corner of the drawing. An extensive directory lists 132 references. Thirty-two of these, representing the city hall, the county court house, and the churches, are numbered and located on the view. However, the remaining entries, recording an extensive number of commercial and industrial establishments, are not keyed to the view although their addresses are indicated. Interestingly, this view was not a comprehensive listing of industrial activity. The several brick yards prominently displayed on the left side of the view are not enumerated, nor is the city's largest employer, the New England Glass Company, which is distinctly depicted in the upper right hand corner north of the Boston and Lowell Railroad. During its short existence in the 1870s, the Franklin View Company produced only two urban views this one and an 1873 view of Gloucester. Their style was noticeably different from the typical bird's eye view. They combined elements of a conventional map with the currently popular bird's eye view, in that the street pattern was replicated with little distortion, while the buildings were shown in three dimensions and the horizon displayed a high oblique perspective.

This map, part of JH Colton’s two-part map of Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina, was published in 1855. Savannah, Georgia, is on the left and covers the city from Hutchinson’s Island in the East to Milledge St in the west, and Ogeechee Canal in the north to Thunderbolt Road in the South. The map provides a brief description of the city’s history and its founding, and with detailed streets and buildings, the map is hand colored in pink, green, yellow, and blue pastels to identify city wards, which are then referenced in the lower left corner. The maps were published from JH Colton’s William Street Office in New York City, in volume 1 of the first edition of George Woolworth Colton's 1855 Atlas of the World.

The Map of City of Brooklyn, a detailed map of Brooklyn and the village of Williamsburg, created by Matthew Dripps in 1850, provides valuable historical information about the development of Brooklyn in the mid-19th century. It illustrates the streets, coverage of buildings, displays numbered wards, and lot lines. The map also includes illustrations showing major public buildings of the city at the time such as Kings County Prison, Naval Asylum and the City Hall. An important resource for anyone interested in the history of Brooklyn, it was hand-colored to highlight ward boundaries, and was originally printed on two sheets, one for the western portion of the city and one for the eastern portion.

This map prepared by surveyor and draftsman, John Hill and engraved by John Cooke, shows the plan of the city of Philadelphia and its surroundings, and was dedicated to the then mayor Matthew Clarkson along with other aldermen and citizens. The map shows names of buildings, wharves and landings along the Delaware riverbank, wooded areas, and tract lines beyond the city border. It also Includes notes, a reference list of public buildings, statement of presentation dated September 5th, 1796, and imprint of city seal containing coat-of-arms.

The "Plan of the City of Providence" from 1844, drawn by N.B. Schubarth and engraved by Story & Atwood, is a detailed map that provides a historical snapshot of Providence, Rhode Island. Published by B.F. Moore, the map is scaled at 1:15,840, with 4 inches representing 1 mile. It highlights the streets and layout of the city at that time, offering insights into its urban development. The map, measuring 17 x 21 cm, is part of the Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center Collection at the Boston Public Library. Indexed for easy reference, it serves as a valuable resource for understanding the historical geography of Providence.

The “Plan showing the boundaries of the great Conflagration of New Orleans on the 21st of March, 1788” is a historical map that illustrates the extent of the devastating fire that swept through New Orleans. Created in the late 1800s, this facsimile map highlights the settled parts of the town with darker shading and indicates where the fire started and which buildings escaped the blaze. The map provides valuable insights into the urban layout of New Orleans at the time and the impact of the fire on the city’s development.

One of the earliest maps of Miami, this map from 1918, serves as a historical artifact that gives a glimpse of how Miami was developing in the early days, and captures the layout of the city, just 22 years after it was officially incorporated. It was approved by Charles W. Murray, the Miami City Engineer, printed by The Hefty Company and sold by E.B. Douglas Co. of Miami. The map shows the city's layout on both sides of the Miami River, and it displays several city blocks that have been subdivided as well as larger plots of land that were owned by early residents. The map's coverage extends west to the fork in the river and covers the area up to 22nd Street.A notable feature on the map is Miami’s first hotel, built in 1897, the Palm Royal Hotel and Palm Park, which are located just north of the Miami River. The map also shows the location of the US Experimental Grounds, located just west of Mary Brickell's Amended Plat, which extends north to Brickell Point.

The Map of the City of St. Louis by Rene Paul Esquire was first issued in 1842 and later updated in 1844. Rene Paul, who was the city surveyor, compiled this map using information available to him at the time.The map was published by Twichel & Cook and engraved by T. Twichel at the office of J.T. Hammond in St. Louis, Missouri. It features detailed engravings, including three vignettes of buildings and a steamboat on the Mississippi River. The map is color-coded by ward and includes a table of population statistics and a key to important buildings.This historical map is known for its exquisite coloring and detailed representation of St. Louis during that period. It is considered a valuable piece of cartographic history and is part of the David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.

The “Sewer Map of the City of Oakland” from 1880 is a detailed map that illustrates the sizes and depths of the city’s sewer system, as well as the grades of streets. Created as part of a report on the social statistics of cities, this map provides valuable insights into the infrastructure and urban planning of Oakland during that period. It highlights the importance of the sewer system in the city’s development and offers a historical perspective on public health and sanitation efforts in the late 19th century.

This colored map of Los Angeles, surveyed and created by the cartographer Henry J. Stevenson in 1884, shows the incorporated areas of Los Angeles, including the tracts, names of property owners, and landmarks.

Sites after 1900 that are located along the tour route are overlaid on the current GIS map.

The City of San Francisco and its surroundings, was first prepared in 1857 by surveyor AF Rogers, and published in 1859. Public buildings are listed in the reference table to the right and wharves, streets, roads, cisterns, and topographical features like relief are also shown on the map. Blossom rock Buoy and the line "hydrography by Lieut. R.M. Cuyler" which are there in the later editions of the map are missing in this edition. According to OCLC, three copies of this edition exist, and they can be found in the British Library, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and the San Francisco National Maritime Museum, respectively. 

Considered the foremost US example of two planning styles: the Baroque and City Beautiful this plan for the city of Washington, D.C. was published by John Reid in 1795, showing the layout of the city’s grid, north of the Potomac and the Eastern Branch (Anacostia) Rivers, up to W Street and includes part of Georgetown to the west. After President George Washington announced the area as the permanent seat of the national capital, Andrew Ellicott and Benjamin Banneker surveyed the site and, in 1791, Major Pierre Charles L'Enfant was appointed to plan the new city. However, L'Enfant was suspended from the project in 1792 and his assistant Andrew Ellicott took over, worked on L'Enfant's initial idea to prepare and publish the final plan of the City in the same year.

Aerial Photo of the Commons with Foley Square behind

This map illustrates some of the historic places situated along the route of the Commons Tour overlaid on the Ratzer map of 1767. 

Manuscript maps of New-Netherland and Manhattan drawn on the spot by Joan Vingboons in 1639

This map, made by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), shows the extent of flooding in New York after Superstorm Sandy.

The Mannahatta Project was an urban ecological study to imagine what Manhattan would be like if there were no settlers.  

Map of the route of the new Croton Aqueduct, present aqueduct and Bronx River pipe line also the watersheds of the Croton, Bronx and Byram rivers, 1887New York (N.Y.). Aqueduct Commission (Publisher)Church, B. S. (Benjamin Silliman), 1836- (Engineer)Cook, Frederick S (Draftsman)Welcke, Robert A (Lithographer)Aguirre, A. A. (Delineator)Ghetti, L. G. (Delineator)

Lower Manhattan has effectively been America’s town square since its discovery in 1524. Virtually every major event of local, national and global significance has played out in some way on this stage. Some have been forgotten and some have been transformative in our culture and many have fallen between. This is both a project in urban archeology and a way of describing the city over time in a printed map. The map captures the multiple and overlapping stories that are woven throughout our city’s life in a single document. It embraces America’s history as the museums, monuments and memorials that dot its streetscape do.   It highlights many of the concerns, events and places that the people who lived, fought, worked and visited here thought were important at their moment in time.   It takes another look at the issues that they were preoccupied with and how they solved them:  their politics, religion, social protest, health and safety, commerce, disasters and defense, scandals and crime, education, publications, art and culture, parades and celebrations, architecture and engineering. It encapsulates the events that shaped the physical and cultural landscape within the changing geography at the water’s edge. And it raises questions that need to be considered as we plan a more resilient city in our future.  

The “La Nouvelle Orleans en 1728,” featured in the 1886 “Report on the Social Statistics of Cities” compiled by George E. Waring, Jr., is a detailed map of New Orleans from the French colonial period. This map highlights the early layout of the city, including streets, buildings, and significant landmarks.

Shows topography by hachures, vegetation, drainage, roads, railroads, houses, stonewalls, cultivated areas, churches, and cemeteries. Union and Confederate positions are shown, including the location of the artillery. Confederate corps are named; Union forces are given in more detail, including names of some division commanders. Shows the Union breast works and cavalry positions. The map was prepared by William H. Willcox, Captain & ADC on Major General Reynolds Staff.

Oval-shaped map depicting troop and artillery positions, relief by hachures, drainage, roads, railroads, and houses with names of residents. Map drawn from  C. A. Alvord Sketch of the battles of Gettysburg.