On (Virtual) Display at the State Library

Take a trip to the coast of the North Shore with this month’s virtually displayed collection item! We’re featuring a bird’s-eye view map of the small village of Magnolia, which is located in Gloucester, Massachusetts right over the town line from Manchester-by-the-Sea. 

This item was specifically selected for virtual display during the summer months because from the mid-1800s and into the 1900s Magnolia was a vacation destination for Bostonians and other New England and New York residents. This map was published in 1887, so it depicts Magnolia in its relatively early days of development. The legend in the bottom right of the map identifies some of the town's landmarks. Unfortunately, our copy has experienced some paper loss, so the full legend isn’t available. However, the Boston Public Library’s Leventhal Map Center also has a copy, which includes the full legend.

Detroit Publishing Co., Copyright Claimant, and Publisher
Detroit Publishing Co. The Hesperus, Magnolia, Mass.
United States Massachusetts Gloucester, ca. 1906. Photograph.

From the legend, we know that stately homes and sprawling resorts were found in Magnolia in 1887. The largest structures that dominate the map are located near the center right off the town green. They are identified as the Oceanside Hotel (D) and The Hesperus (E). Neither hotel is still in existence, but at the time, they were posh retreats for vacationers looking to escape the city and be near the sea. 

We’d also like to point out one inconspicuous building in the far-reaches of the map. A long rectangular building labeled “M” is shown in the distance off of Normans Avenue - that building is a bowling alley! The first indoor bowling alley in the United States opened in New York in 1840, and by the late 1800s, they were popular meeting (and drinking) spaces for men. Bowling alleys were more often frequented by working-class men, possibly after a long day of working in the resorts and businesses that catered to wealthy out-of-towners. A check of a contemporary map of Magnolia showed that while there are many more roads there now than there were in 1887, and some of the streets have changed names, Norman Avenue (identified as Normans Ave. in 1887) is still in existence - there isn’t evidence of a bowling alley on that site, though. 

In addition to buildings and roads, there are always a lot of fun details to see in bird’s-eye view maps, like different modes of transportation and people engaged in various activities. Take a closer look at life in Magnolia by clicking on the above image or checking out its record on DSpace. And while you’re in DSpace, be sure to peruse our full collection of digitized bird’s-eye view maps.

Elizabeth Roscio
Preservation Librarian