This map was published in 1938, the same year that PortSide's historic ship MARY A. WHALEN was  launched. On this map, Red Hook is mostly in red except for industrial and commercial areas.

The practice of 'redlining' is now illegal.  Redlining is the practice of denying services--such as home loans. It was hard to impossible for people in redlined areas to get loans to buy property.

Mortgage lenders mapped areas based on what they considered to be risky investment areas. The practice of doing this in a discriminatory way (preventing lending where Blacks, immigrants and the poor live) is called redlining due to their neighborhoods being colored red on the map. 

In the map, Red Hook is split into industrial/commercial or "fourth grade" areas. The industrial/commercial zone is more expansive than the current industrial zone. Areas marked as "fourth grade" were seen as undesirable areas, which made it difficult for homeowners to get loans to buy property in this area.

We note that the maritime business that operated piers are indicated on the Brooklyn shore from just north of the Manhattan Bridge through Sunset Park, but not every where on the map. We don't know why and would welcome hearing from people who do.

This map was made by the Hagstrom map company using data from the Home Owners' Loan Association.