1865 Currier and Brown / Kensett Map of New Haven, Connecticut

This is a c. 1865 Charles Currier and David R. Brown lithographic reissue of the 1806 Thomas Kensett / James Wadsworth map of New Haven, Connecticut, as it appeared in 1748. The Kensett / Wadsworth map is considered to be the earliest map of New Haven. The map is oriented roughly to the northwest and covers the 9 city blocks surrounding the New Haven Green. It further extends to incorporate the harbor and nearby waterways, most of which have since been altered by landfill projects. The identifies Yale University (built in 1717), the city hall (constructed in 1668), and two trees on the Green plated in 1686. It further notes the location of various c. 1748 private residences, noting the owner's name and profession. In the lower right quadrant, there appears a list of the original 38 grantees, most of which also appear on the map.

Differences between this and the Wadsworth/Kensett Map

The architect David R. Brown, working with Charles Currier, issued this reprint of the first published map of New Haven. The original was drawn by James Wadsworth (1730 - 1817) in 1748, but not printed until 1806, when it in fell into the hand of Thomas Kensett (1786 - 1829). Brown's reissue of the map is on a smaller scale and simpler in execution than the Wadsworth/Kensett original. The elaborate border of the 1806 map has been replaced by a single line, and the calligraphic typography has been supplemented by more modern block lettering. Brown was a skilled draftsman and may have redrawn this later version himself shortly after he returned to New Haven, after fighting for the Union in the American Civil War (1861 - 1865), hence the usual dating of this map to 1865. In addition, several street names and other cartographic data missing from the original have here been added. While the original map was dedicated to The Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, Brown changed the dedication to the 'Citizens of New Haven'. The change is indicative of the fact that this map was intended for a local audience, who perhaps in the post-Civil War years waxed halcyon for the Colonial Era.

Publication History and Census

This map was published in partnership by the engraver and lithographer Charles Currier and the New Haven architect David R. Brown. The map is well represented institutionally but rare to the market.