Rare Old Map of West Hartford, Connecticut by USGS, 1945 – Hartford, Bloomfield & Connecticut River
My maps are rare, museum-grade, restored old maps sourced from libraries, auction houses and private collections across the globe. Full description
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Choose two eligible works and receive 20% off both. Choose three and the lowest-priced one is complimentary, a maximum saving of 33%.
Mix and match eligible standard maps and fine-art prints. No code is required; the offer is applied automatically at checkout.
Standard made-to-order configurations are included. Bespoke sizes, personalised designs and commissioned work are excluded.
Need delivery to different addresses? Contact us before ordering.The Collector’s Offer
Choose two eligible works and receive 20% off both. Choose three and the lowest-priced one is complimentary, a maximum saving of 33%.
Mix and match eligible standard maps and fine-art prints. No code is required; the offer is applied automatically at checkout.
Standard made-to-order configurations are included. Bespoke sizes, personalised designs and commissioned work are excluded.
Need delivery to different addresses? Contact us before ordering.
My maps are rare, museum-grade, restored old maps sourced from libraries, auction houses and private collections across the globe. Full description
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Gift message & custom finish
If you want to add a gift message, or a finish (jigsaw, aluminium board, etc.) that is not available here, please request it in the "order note" when you check out.
Every order is custom made, so if you need the size adjusted slightly, or printed on an unusual material, just let us know. We've done thousands of custom orders over the years, so there's (almost) nothing we can't manage.
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Published in 1945 by the United States Geological Survey, “Hartford North” presents a richly detailed topographical portrait of West Hartford, Hartford, Bloomfield,...
Continue readingPublished in 1945 by the United States Geological Survey, “Hartford North” presents a richly detailed topographical portrait of West Hartford, Hartford, Bloomfield, and the surrounding Connecticut landscape at a scale of 1:31,680. Issued in the closing year of the Second World War, the map captures a region balanced between established urban life and expanding suburban development. West Hartford appears as a significant and increasingly connected community, while Hartford itself anchors the sheet with the density and infrastructure of a major state capital. Roads, railways, schools, parks, business districts, and residential neighborhoods are carefully delineated, offering a revealing snapshot of mid-twentieth-century settlement patterns in central Connecticut.
The US Geological Survey’s restrained and authoritative cartographic style is evident throughout the map. Contour lines model the terrain with precision, tracing the rises, dips, and gradual slopes that shape the land west and north of Hartford. The traditional USGS visual language—clear road classifications, water features, built structures, and elevation data—makes the sheet both scientifically useful and historically evocative. Hills and valleys are not merely background geography here; they help explain the location of neighborhoods, roads, reservoirs, and open spaces. The result is a map that combines practical utility with a quiet elegance characteristic of American federal mapping in the first half of the twentieth century.
West Hartford is one of the map’s central subjects, shown at a moment when suburban growth was becoming a defining feature of the region. Residential neighborhoods spread outward from Hartford’s urban core, connected by a network of major and minor roads that reveal commuting patterns, civic planning, and the influence of the automobile. Schools, parks, and business areas give the community a lived-in texture, suggesting a town already shaped by both domestic life and metropolitan proximity. The contrast between denser settlement and more open terrain makes the map especially compelling, recording the threshold between older village forms, newer suburban blocks, and remaining rural landscapes.
Water gives the map much of its geographic structure. The Connecticut River, one of New England’s great waterways, appears as a major natural boundary and corridor, while the Park River and local reservoirs speak to the area’s hydrology, water supply, and engineered landscape. These features are woven into the road and settlement patterns, demonstrating how natural systems and urban development interacted in the Hartford area. Reservoirs and parks also hint at the region’s recreational and civic priorities, preserving open land amid growing communities. Through its careful depiction of waterways, drainage, and elevation, the map reveals the environmental framework beneath the metropolitan surface.
As a historical document, “Hartford North” is especially valuable for what it shows about central Connecticut in 1945: a landscape of infrastructure, institutions, transportation links, and expanding neighborhoods at a pivotal moment in American urban history. Railways remain prominent, roads are increasingly elaborate, and the distribution of schools, parks, and business districts reflects the social geography of the period. Produced by the USGS, an agency renowned for its rigorous surveying of the nation’s landforms and resources, the map exemplifies the disciplined clarity of government topographic mapping. It is both a technical record and a nuanced portrait of place, preserving Hartford’s northern suburbs at mid-century.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- West Hartford
- Hartford
- Bloomfield
- Connecticut River
- Park River
- Reservoirs
- Major and minor roads
- Railways
- Parks
- Schools
- Business areas
- Residential neighborhoods
Historical context & cartographic details
- Published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS)
- Created in 1945
- Historical topographical map at a scale of 1:31,680
- Shows West Hartford and the surrounding area in mid-20th-century Connecticut
- Reflects urban and rural development patterns, including residential growth and infrastructure
- Uses traditional USGS topographic styling with contour lines to show elevation
- Depicts terrain variations including hills, valleys, and other geographic features
- Includes detailed road networks, landmarks, waterways, and a clear functional layout
- Produced by the USGS, a U.S. government scientific agency known for mapping natural resources and landscapes across the United States
Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.
Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.
This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.
The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.
Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.
Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.
With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.
This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.
For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.
Published in 1945 by the United States Geological Survey, “Hartford North” presents a richly detailed topographical portrait of West Hartford, Hartford, Bloomfield, and the surrounding Connecticut landscape at a scale of 1:31,680. Issued in the closing year of the Second World War, the map captures a region balanced between established urban life and expanding suburban development. West Hartford appears as a significant and increasingly connected community, while Hartford itself anchors the sheet with the density and infrastructure of a major state capital. Roads, railways, schools, parks, business districts, and residential neighborhoods are carefully delineated, offering a revealing snapshot of mid-twentieth-century settlement patterns in central Connecticut.
The US Geological Survey’s restrained and authoritative cartographic style is evident throughout the map. Contour lines model the terrain with precision, tracing the rises, dips, and gradual slopes that shape the land west and north of Hartford. The traditional USGS visual language—clear road classifications, water features, built structures, and elevation data—makes the sheet both scientifically useful and historically evocative. Hills and valleys are not merely background geography here; they help explain the location of neighborhoods, roads, reservoirs, and open spaces. The result is a map that combines practical utility with a quiet elegance characteristic of American federal mapping in the first half of the twentieth century.
West Hartford is one of the map’s central subjects, shown at a moment when suburban growth was becoming a defining feature of the region. Residential neighborhoods spread outward from Hartford’s urban core, connected by a network of major and minor roads that reveal commuting patterns, civic planning, and the influence of the automobile. Schools, parks, and business areas give the community a lived-in texture, suggesting a town already shaped by both domestic life and metropolitan proximity. The contrast between denser settlement and more open terrain makes the map especially compelling, recording the threshold between older village forms, newer suburban blocks, and remaining rural landscapes.
Water gives the map much of its geographic structure. The Connecticut River, one of New England’s great waterways, appears as a major natural boundary and corridor, while the Park River and local reservoirs speak to the area’s hydrology, water supply, and engineered landscape. These features are woven into the road and settlement patterns, demonstrating how natural systems and urban development interacted in the Hartford area. Reservoirs and parks also hint at the region’s recreational and civic priorities, preserving open land amid growing communities. Through its careful depiction of waterways, drainage, and elevation, the map reveals the environmental framework beneath the metropolitan surface.
As a historical document, “Hartford North” is especially valuable for what it shows about central Connecticut in 1945: a landscape of infrastructure, institutions, transportation links, and expanding neighborhoods at a pivotal moment in American urban history. Railways remain prominent, roads are increasingly elaborate, and the distribution of schools, parks, and business districts reflects the social geography of the period. Produced by the USGS, an agency renowned for its rigorous surveying of the nation’s landforms and resources, the map exemplifies the disciplined clarity of government topographic mapping. It is both a technical record and a nuanced portrait of place, preserving Hartford’s northern suburbs at mid-century.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- West Hartford
- Hartford
- Bloomfield
- Connecticut River
- Park River
- Reservoirs
- Major and minor roads
- Railways
- Parks
- Schools
- Business areas
- Residential neighborhoods
Historical context & cartographic details
- Published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS)
- Created in 1945
- Historical topographical map at a scale of 1:31,680
- Shows West Hartford and the surrounding area in mid-20th-century Connecticut
- Reflects urban and rural development patterns, including residential growth and infrastructure
- Uses traditional USGS topographic styling with contour lines to show elevation
- Depicts terrain variations including hills, valleys, and other geographic features
- Includes detailed road networks, landmarks, waterways, and a clear functional layout
- Produced by the USGS, a U.S. government scientific agency known for mapping natural resources and landscapes across the United States
Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.
Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.
This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.
The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.
Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.
Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.
With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.
This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.
For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.
Many of our maps and art prints are chosen as thoughtful gifts for homes, offices, studies and meaningful places.
Choose a framed option for the easiest ready-to-hang gift, or choose an unframed print if the recipient may prefer to select their own frame.
We make orders locally in 23 countries around the world, so gifts can often be produced close to the recipient. This helps them arrive faster, travel more safely, and avoid customs or import duty surprises.
- We can deliver directly to the recipient
- Framed pieces arrive ready to hang
- Unframed prints are carefully packed in a strong protective tube
- Almost every order is made locally, for faster, safer gifting
- 90-day returns give the recipient time to decide
If you are not sure what to choose, please contact us. We can help you pick the right map, size, finish or delivery option.
Most orders are made locally and delivered in around 2–3 working days, depending on the product, size and destination.
We print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world, so your order is usually made close to you or your recipient. That means faster delivery, less time in transit, and no customs or import duty surprises.
Personalised and customised pieces usually take an extra 1–2 working days, because we prepare your design and send it to you for approval before printing.
Very large framed orders can take a little longer, as they need extra care in production and delivery.
Every order is carefully packaged: unframed prints are sent in a strong protective tube, while framed pieces are securely packed with protective materials around the frame.
If you need your order by a particular date, please contact us before ordering. We’ll check the best production route and delivery option for your location.
Express delivery is available at checkout for most countries. Next-day delivery is available in the UK, US, Singapore and the UAE.
Your order is covered by our 90-day returns policy and 10-year guarantee.
Our standard frame is a gallery-style black ash hardwood frame, with a simple, modern look. It is approximately 20mm (0.8in) wide. You can also view some lovely customer photos of framed maps and art.
We use super-clear acrylic glazing, also known as Perspex or Acrylite, instead of traditional glass. It is lighter, safer, and has lower reflectivity, giving the artwork a clearer, cleaner appearance.
Six standard frame colours are available at no extra cost: black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white, and antique gold. Custom framing and mounting/matting is also available for customers looking for something more specific.
Most maps, art prints, and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced wooden box frame, and then float the piece within a wooden outer frame. The finished result is beautifully presented, with no glazing between you and the artwork.
All frames are supplied ready to hang, with either string or brackets fitted to the back. Very large frames will include heavy-duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.
We can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag, and other materials.
If you would prefer to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read our size guide before ordering.
Every Unique Maps piece begins with an authentic cartographic source or an original design from our London studio.
For our historic maps, we source rare originals from libraries, archives, auction houses and private collections around the world. We carefully restore each map for print—repairing age-related damage, balancing colour and improving clarity while preserving its original detail, texture and character.
Once restored, the map is prepared for your chosen size and finish. Your piece is then printed and, where selected, framed close to its delivery destination.
Our map prints use acid-free 200gsm archival matte paper and fade-resistant pigment inks, creating a rich, non-glossy finish designed to last. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.
Canvas, cotton-rag and other specialist presentations are also available. Learn more about our materials and finishes.
Personalising your map
You can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. For personalised designs, we send a proof before printing and you can request changes before approval.
For more complex bespoke commissions, contact our design team.
Original or Aged
Choose Original for true-to-source colour, or Aged for a warmer, richer antique character created with our specialist ageing process. See examples of our Aged maps.
We’ve been restoring and producing maps and art prints since 1984, and we stand behind every piece.
Every order is covered by our 10-year guarantee and damage-free delivery guarantee. If your piece arrives damaged, we’ll replace or remake it free of charge. If anything else isn’t right, contact our workshop team and we’ll put it right promptly.
See our returns and refund policy for full details.
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