Historic Maps of Jamaica Plain
Maps such as these were produced primarily for the fire insurance industry. They show building footprints and detail such as building material, function, owner, driveways, and street address. Also shown are lot lines, street widths, pipes, railroad lines, and bodies of water. Sanborn, Hopkins, Bromley, Phoenix, and other companies produced fire Insurance maps. The earliest fire insurance map of Boston appeared in 1867.
A number of institutions in the Boston area hold original fire insurance atlases including the Boston Public Library, Harvard Library, MIT Library, The Bostonian Society, The State Library of Massachusetts, and the City of Boston Archives.
The Harvard Library will provide reprints of map pages to the public for a fee. The Boston Public Library also offers a reproduction service. Perhaps the largest collection of fire insurance maps resides in the U.S. Library of Congress. In 1967, shortly after the Sanborn Company discontinued its large-scale map series, the Census Bureau transferred to the Library of Congress 1,840 volumes of Sanborn maps. Together with material acquired through copyright deposit, the Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Collection numbers approximately 700,000 sheets. A List of Geographical Atlases in the Library of Congress (Washington: Library of Congress, 1973. lxxii, 681 p. Z6028.U56, v. 7) describes a partial list of holdings.
An article in D-Lib Magazine, Digitizing Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps; for a Full Color, Publicly Accessible Collection, discusses the University of Utah’s effort to make their fire insurance maps publicly available.
The UC Berkeley library web site has an excellent article on Sanborn maps. Another good treatment of Sanborn maps can be found on Wikipedia.
Credits and Acknowledgements
Maps other than the 1858 map appear here courtesy of the City of Boston Archive (with special thanks to Dave Nathan.) Melissa Gallagher Photography photographed the maps. Gretchen Grozier and Frank Norton provided production assistance. Charlie Rosenberg was the project manager.
The 1858 map is an inset from a map of Suffolk County and appears here courtesy of the Boston Public Library.
1858
1874
Plate A: Green Street / Washington Street / Brookside Avenue / Boylston Avenue / Oak Place / Lamartine Street / Chestnut Street / Chemical Avenue / Lamartine Place / Cedar Avenue / Clark Court / Lamartine Court / Lane / Curtis / Chapel Street / Boylston Street / Porter Street / Bismarck Street / Jess Street / Germania Avenue / Baker Street / Arcadia Street / School Street / Beethoven Street / Atherton Street
Plate B: Green Street / Centre Street / Chestnut Street / D Street / E Street / Spring Park Avenue / C Street / B Street / A Street / Boylston Street / Curtis Street / Sheridan Avenue / Terrace Avenue
Plate C: Centre Street / South Street / Green Street / Starr Lane / Seaverns Avenue / Harris Avenue / Alveston Street / Roanoke Avenue / Revere Street / Elm Street / Gordon Street / Union Avenue / Greenough Street / Walker Street / John A Andrew Street / Newbern Street / Carolina Avenue / Child Street / Lee Street / Keyes Street / Washington Street / Williams Street
Plate D: Jamaica Street / White Avenue / South Street / Centre Street / Orchard Street / Monument Street / Eliot Street / Thomas Street / Brewer Street / Burroughs Street / Myrtle Street / Pond Street / Moreland Place
Plate E: Pond Street / Centre Street / May Street / Orchard Street / Rockwood Street / Prince Street / Perkins Street / Lakeville Avenue / Chestnut Street
Plate F: Washington Street / Eggleston Square / Woodside Avenue / Walnut Avenue / Glen Road / Forest Hills Street / Williams Street / Seaver Street / Blue Hill Avenue / Scarborough Street / Lotus Street / Canterbury Street / Autumn Street / Calder Street
Plate G: Washington Street / Morton Street / Walk Hill Street / Forest Hills Avenue / Union Terrace / Lotus Street / Walnut Street / Forest Hills Street / Williams Street / Ellicott Street / Scarborough Street / Canterbury Street
Plate H: Washington Street / South Street / Ashland Street / Florence Street / Pine Street / Garden Street / Prospect Street / Albion Street / Brown Avenue / Rowe Street / Hyde Park Avenue / Folsom Street / Neponset Avenue / Spruce Street / Mount Hope Avenue / Weber Street / Canterbury Street / Berry Street / Bourne Street / Walk Hill Avenue
Plate L: Pond Street / Allandale Street / Centre Street / South Street / Washington Street / Keyes Street
1896
Washington Street / Forest Hills Street / Glen Road / Woodside Avenue / Sylvia Street / Sigourney Street / Walnut Avenue / Roberson Street / Peter Parley Street / Olmstead Street / Park Lane Street / Montebello Road / Iffley Road / Chauncy Place / Byron Court / Ellsworth Place / School Street / Weld Avenue / Watson Place / School Street Place / Columbus Avenue
Plate 1
Green Street / Chestnut Avenue / Lamartine Street / Lamartine Square / Oakdale Street / Bell Street / Chestnut Square / Spring Lane / Vale Terrace / Cedar Avenue / Lamartine Place / Lawndale Terrace / Helena Street / Clark Place / Lamartine Court / Boylston Street / Danforth Street / Wyman Street / Marbury Terrace / Amory Street / School Street / Copley Street / Arcadia Street / Atherton Street / Beethoven Street / Boylston Place / Georgianna Street / Dalrymple Street / Eggleston Street / Baker Court / Porter Street / Germania Street / Bismarck Street / Jess Street / Merriam Street / Cable Street / Minton Street / Brookside Avenue / Cornwall Street / Ophir Street / Alden Place / Washington Street / Jackson Place / Marmion Street / Argyle Street
Plate 2
Perkins Street / Centre Street / Sheridan Street / Cranston Street / Forbes Street / Paul Gore Street / Paul Gore Terrace / Boylston Street / Parker Court / Wyman Street / Danforth Street / Lamartine Street / Spring Lane / Chestnut Avenue / Nelson Street / Clive Street / Burr Street / Adelaide Street / Adelaide Terrace / Rockview Street
Plate 3
Jamaicaway / Lochstead Avenue / Lakeville Place / Pond Street / Myrtle Street / Centre Street / Enfield Street / Hazel Street / Goldsmith Place / Robinwood Avenue / Locksley / Parley Avenue / Chestnut Avenue / Fessenden Street / Saint John Street / Rockview Street / Lester Place / Centre Place / Green Street / Alfred Street / Starr Lane / Seaverns Avenue / Maple Place
Plate 4
May Street / Arborway / Pond Street / Centre Street / Orchard Street / Vane Street / Rugby Street / Holbrook Street / Eliot Street / Burroughs Street / Brewer Street / Hagar Street / Thomas Street / Myrtle Street / Agassiz Park / Park Place
Plate 5
Centre Street / South Street / Arborway / Custer Street / Goldsmith Street / Ballard Street / Ballard Court / Hathaway Street / Atwood Square / Woodman Street / Saint Joseph Street / Jamaica Street / Asbury Place / Johnson Street
Plate 6
South Street / Rosemary Street / Hall Street / Boynton Street / Keyes Street / Call Street / Lee Street / Child Street / Carolina Avenue / Sedgwick Street / J A Andrew Street / Centre Street / Story Place / Elm Street / Newbern Street / Bishop Street / Everett Street / Greenough Avenue / Alveston Street / Harris Avenue / Roanoke Avenue / Revere Street / Seaverns Avenue / Maple Place / Brown Place / Greenough Place / Gordon Street / Alfred Street / Green Street
Plate 7
Washington Street / Burnett Street / Lotus Place / Forest Hills Street / Keyes Street / Williams Street / Stedman Street / Keyes Street Place / Plainfield Street / Garfield Avenue / Glenwood Avenue / Union Avenue / Green Street / Glen Road
Plate 8
Pond Street / Prince Street / Perkins Street / Chestnut Street / Jamaicaway / Pond Avenue / Willow Road Avenue / Castleton Street / Zamora Street / Catalpa Street / Bynner Avenue
Plate 9
Allandale Street / Mount Walley Avenue / Green Hill Avenue / Centre Street / Louders Lane / Moss Hill Road / Woodland Road / Avon Street / Pond Street / Rockwood Street / May Street / Prince Street
Plate 10
Centre Street / Bussey / South Street / Hampstead Road / Spalding Street / Anson Street / Saint Mark Street / Forest Hills Street / Morton Street / Forest Hills Avenue / Cary Street / Union Terrace / Washington Street / Tower Street / Woodlawn Street / Weld Hill Street / Hyde Park Avenue / Walk Hill Street / Leland Street / Barlow Street / Yale Street / Wachusett Street
Plate 11
Morton Street / Canterbury Street / Blue Hill Avenue / Forest Hills Street / Seaver Street / Sigourney Street / Walnut Street / Calder Street / Angell Street
Plate 12
1899
Plate 14: May Street / Orchard Street / Arborway / Rockwood Street / Pond Street / Prince Street / Eliot Street / Burroughs Street / Perkins Street / Myrtle Street / Centre Street / Jamaicaway / Chestnut Street / Lakeville Place / Lochstead Avenue / Pond Avenue / Willow Pond Road / Castleton Street / Bynner Street / Zamora Street / Catalpa Street
Plate 15: Centre Street / Sheridan Street / Cranston Street / Paul Gore Street / Boylston Terrace / Boylston Street / Spring Park Avenue / Belmore Terrace / Adelaide Street / Burr Street / Clive Street / Parker Court / Goldsmith Place / Robinwood Street / Locksley Avenue / Enfield Street / Hazel Street / Parley Avenue / Rockview Street / Pond Street / Myrtle Street / Burroughs Street / Harris Avenue / Alverson / Maple Place / Brown Place / Seaverns Avenue / Starr Lane / Green Street / Centre Place / Lester Place / Warren Square / Saint Johns Street / Roanoke Avenue / Revere Street / Elm Street / Gordon Street / Bishop Street / Everett Street / Forbes Street / Wyman Street / Chestnut Avenue / Lamartine Street / Danforth Street / Chestnut Square / Chestnut Terrace / Emsella / Decker Avenue / Clark Place / Helena Street / Lawndale Street / Lamartine Place / Oakdale Street / Cedar Avenue / Union Street / Washington Street / Alden Place / Ophir Street / Boylston Street / Brookside Avenue / Jackson Place / Cornwall Street / Marmion Street / Argyle Street / Minton Street / Cable Street / Merriam Street / Baker Court / Germania Street / Bismarck Street / Egleston Street / Porter Street / Dalrymple Street / Georgianna / School Street / Arcadia Street / Copley Street / Marbury Terrace / Atherton Street / Beethoven Street / Columbus Avenue / Weld Avenue / Watson Place / Byron Court / Chauncey Place / Ellsworth Place / Iffley Road / Montebello Road / Walnut Avenue / Park Lane Street / Olmstead Street / Peter Parley Street / Robeson Street / Forest Hills Street / Forest Hills Street / Sylvia / Woodside Street / Glen Road / Sigourney Street / Glenside Avenue / Glade Avenue / Greenwood Avenue / Garfield Avenue
Plate 17: Walk Hill Street / Wachusetts Avenue / Canterbury Street / Morton Street / Blue Hill Avenue / Forest Hills Street / Circuit Drive / Sigourney Street / Pierpont Road / Glen Road / Glen Lane / Playstead Road / Walnut Avenue / Seaver Street /
Plate 21: Alandale Street / Centre Street / Green Hill Avenue / Mount Walley Avenue / Pond Street Avon Street / Rockwood Street / Moss Hill Road / Woodland Road / May Street / Weld Park / Louders Lane
1905
Forest Hills Street / Glen Road / Glenside Avenue / Glade Avenue / Woodside Avenue / Washington Street / Sylvia Street / Roberson Street / Sigourney Street / Peter Parley Road / Park Lane Street / Eugene Street / Montebello Road / Iffley Road / Chauncy Place / Walnut Avenue / Byron Court / Ellsworth Place / School Street / Weld Avenue / Dixwell Street / Cleaves Street
Plate 1
Chestnut Avenue / Green Street / Lamartine Street / Hubbard Street / Chestnut Square / Lamartine Place / Lamartine Square / Chesire Street / Biltmore Street / Lamartine Terrace / Chestnut Terrace / Cedar Avenue / Oakdale Street / Oakdale Square / Lawndale Terrace / Helena Street / Clark Place / Lamartine Court / Emsella Terrace / Boylston Street / Danforth Street / Paul Gore Street / Wyman Street / Amory Street / Marbury Terrace / School Street / Copley Street / Arcadia Street / Atherton Street / Egleston Street / Dalrymple Street / Georgiana Street / Boylston Place / Porter Street / Bismarck Street / Germania Street / Merriam Street / Cable Street / Minton Street / Baker Court / Beethoven Street / Montebello Road / Marmion Street / Haverford Street / Cornwall Street / Brookside Avenue / Ophir Street / Washington Street / Alden Place
Plate 2
Perkins Street / South Huntington Avenue / Centre Street / Day Street / Oakview Terrace Belmore Terrace / Cranston Street / Paul Gore Street / Boylston Street / Spring Park Avenue / Adelaide Street / Burr Street / Clive Street / Rockview Street / Chestnut Avenue / Beecher Street / Parker Court / Prout Street / Forbes Street / Sheridan Street / Danforth Street / Lamartine Street / Hubbard Street / Wyman Street / Chestnut Place
Plate 3
Lochstead Avenue / Jamaicaway / Beaufort Road / Lakeville Place / Myrtle Street / Pond Street / Grovenor Road / Centre Street / Spring Park Avenue / Goldsmith Place / Robinwood Avenue / Enfield Street / Parley Avenue / Saint John Street / Lester Place / Centre Place / Warren Square / Green Street / Starr Lane / Seaverns Avenue / Alfred Street / Chestnut Avenue / Rockview Street / Fessenden Street / Chestnut Place / Calder Place
Plate 4
May Street / Pond Street / Arborway / Centre Street / Prince Street / Orchard Street / Arborway Terrace / Aldworth Street / Dane Street / Eliot Street / Holbrook Street / Newsome Park / Brewer Street / Hagar Street / Park Place / Burroughs Street / Myrtle Street / Thomas Street / Agassiz Park
Plate 5
Centre Street / Arborway / Custer Street / Goldsmith Street / Ballard Street / Ballard Place / Hathaway Street / Saint Joseph Street / Jamaica Street / Woodman Street / Asbury Place / Saint Rose Street / Nathaniel Weld Place / South Street / Achorn Circle / Jamaica Place
Plate 6
South Street / Centre Street / Rosemary Street / Hall Street / Boynton Street / Keyes Street / Call Street / Lee Street / Child Street / Carolina Avenue / Sedgwick Street / Carolina Place / Newbern Street / J A Andrew Street / Bishop Street / Williams Street / Everett Street / Elm Street / Roanoke Avenue / Revere Street / Alveston Street / Greenough Avenue / Story Place / Harris Avenue / Seaverns Avenue / Alfred Street / Green Street / Gordon Street / Maple Place / Brown Place / Greenough Place
Plate 7
Washington Street / Forest Hills Street / Glen Road / Green Street / Keyes Street / Williams Street / Lotus Street / Brook Road / Hale Street / Jubes Street / Plainfield Street / Stedman Street / Keyes Place / Meehan Street / Burnett Street / Union Street
Plate 8
Prince Street / Perkins Street / Pond Street / Jamaicaway / Chestnut Street / South Huntington Avenue / Brookline Road / Zamora Street / Bynner Street / Castleton Street / Willow Pond Road / Pond Avenue
Plate 9
Mount Walley Avenue / Allandale Street / Centre Street / May Street / Louders Lane / Green Hill Avenue / Moss Hill Road / Woodland Road / Pond Street / Rockwood Street / Avon Street / Arborway / Prince Street
Plate 10
Centre Street / Bussey Street / South Street / Arborway / Hampstead Road / Spalding Street / Anson Street / Saint Mark Street / Percy Street / Asticou Road / Walk Hill Street / Morton Street / Forest Hills Street / Forest Hills Avenue / Union Terrace / Cary Street / Hyde Park Avenue / Tower Street / Woodlawn Street / Weld Hill Street / Leland Street / Barlow Street / Varney Street / Wachusett Street
Plate 11
Walk Hill Street / Canterbury Street / Harvard Street / Morton Street / Blue Hill Avenue / Forest Hills Street / Sigourney Street / Walnut Avenue / Seaver Street / Calder Street / Angell Street / Austin Street
Plate 12
1914
Washington Street / Glen Road / Woodside Avenue / Sylvia Street / Peter Parley Road / Forest Hills Street / Montebello Road / Iffley Road / School Street / Columbus Avenue / Glenside Avenue / Glade Avenue / Sigourney Street / Walnut Avenue / Roberson Street / Olmstead Street / Chauncy Place / Byron Court / Ellsworth Street / Weld Avenue / Dixwell Street / Cleaves Street
Plate 1
Chestnut Avenue / Green Street / Cheshire Street / Biltmore Street / Lamartine Street / Lamartine Square / Cedar Avenue / Oakdale Street / Lamartine Terrace / Chestnut Square / Hubbard Street / Chestnut Terrace / Peabody Place / Lamartine Place / Oakdale Square / Lawndale / Cardale / Helena Street / Clark Place / Lamartine Court / Emsella Terrace / Boylston Street / Danforth Street / Paul Gore Street / Wyman Street / Marbury Terrace / Copley Street / Arcadia Street / Atherton Street / Beethoven Street / Dalrymple Street / Boylston Place / Porter Street / Bismarck Street / Germania Street / Merriam Street / Cable Street / Minton Street / Cornwall Street / Amory Street / Brookside Avenue / Montebello Road / Marmion Street / Haverford Street / Baker Court / Egleston Street / Ophir Street / Washington Street / Alden Place / Jackson Place
Plate 2
Perkins Street / Ashcroft Street / South Huntington Avenue / Halifax Street / Moraine Street / Centre Street / Spring Park Avenue / Kingsboro Park / Adelaide Street / Adelaide Terrace / Burr Street / Boylston Street / Clive Street / Dresden Street / Rockview Place / Chestnut Place / Chestnut Avenue / Hubbard Street / Lamartine Street / Danforth Street / Paul Gore Street / Chestnut Avenue / Oakview Terrace / Prout Street / Saint Peters Street Belmore Terrace / Beecher Street / Parker Court / Wyman Street / Forbes Street / Sheridan Street / Cranston Street / Rock Hill Road
Plate 3
Jamaicaway / Lochstead Avenue / Beaufort Road / Lakeville Place / Goodrich Road / Pond Street / Myrtle Street / Centre Street / Spring Park Avenue / Goldsmith Place / Robinwood Avenue / Burrage Street / Parley Vale / Saint John Street / Lester Place / Centre Place / Green Street / Starr Lane / Seaverns Avenue / Alfred Street / Warren Square / Chestnut Avenue / Calder Place / Fessenden Street / Enfield Street / Chestnut Place / Rockview Street
Plate 4
May Street / Pond Street / Arborway / Centre Street / Prince Street / Orchard Street / Dunster Road / Dane Street / Aldworth Street / Arborway Court / Holbrook Street / Eliot Street / Newsome Park / Agassiz Park / Burroughs Street / Brewer Street / Hagar Street / Thomas Street / Centre Street / Myrtle Street / Park Place
Plate 5
Centre Street / Arborway / Goldsmith Street / Custer Street / Ballard Street / Ballard Place / Hathaway Street / Achorn Circle / Woodman Street / Atwood Square / Saint Joseph Street / South Street / Jamaica Street / Saint Rose Street / Nathaniel Weld Place
Plate 6
Rosemary Street / South Street / Hall Street / Boynton Street / Call Street / Keyes Street / Lee Street / Child Street / Verona Street / Carolina Place / Carolina Avenue / Williams Street / Newbern Street / Everett Street / Bishop Street / Elm Street / Crosby Square / Gordon Street / Roanoke Avenue / Revere Street / Alveston Street / Green Street / Alfred Street / Greenough Avenue / Greenough Place / Seaverns Avenue / Harris Avenue / Maple Place / Storey Place / Sedgwick Street / Brown Terrace
Plate 7
Washington Street / Burnett Street / Keyes Street / Williams Street / Water Street / Lotus Street / Brook Road / Jubes Street / Forest Hills Street / Hale Street / Plainfield Street / Stedman Street / Rossmore Road / Garfield Street / Greenwood Avenue / Union Avenue / Glen Road / Green Street
Plate 8
Pond Street / Prince Street / Perkins Street / Jamaicaway / Chestnut Street / Pond Avenue Brookline Road / Lochstead Avenue / Moraine Street / Pondview Avenue / Halifax Street / South Huntington Avenue / Zamora Street / Castleton Street / Parkview Road / Bynner Street / Willow Pond Road
Plate 9
Centre Street / Allandale Street / Green Hill Avenue / Mount Walley Avenue / Louders Lane / Moss Hill Road / Woodland Road / May Street / Pond Street / Avon Street / Rockwood Street / Prince Street / Perkins Street / Arborway
Plate 10
Centre Street / South Street / Bussey Street / Saint Ann Street / Asticou Road / Chocorua Road / Forest Hills Street / Washington Street / Arborway / Hampstead Road / Spalding Street / Anson Street / Saint Mark Street / Percy Street / Hyde Park Avenue / Morton Street / Forest Hills Street / Forest Hills Avenue / Cary Street / Union Terrace / Tower Street / Woodlawn Street / Weld Hill Street / Walk Hill Street / Hillside Avenue / Leland Street / Barlow Street / Varney Street / Wachusett Street / Wenham Street / Craft Place
Plate 11
Morton Street / Forest Hills Street / Canterbury Street / Circuit Drive / Austin Street / Loop Road / Pierpont Road / Playstead Road / Angell Street / Calder Street
Plate 12
