The Greatest Grid

THE MASTER PLAN OF MANHATTAN 1811 — NOW

Before the Grid

Geography

Before the grid, Manhattan had hills, streams, beaches, ponds, wetlands, rock formations, and cliffs. Building out the grid involved significant reshaping of the land conditions, and although traces of some of these geographical features remain visible, it is only in early prints, and especially the British Headquarters Map, that the geography of the island can be seen.