Mapping inequality and redlining

Mapping inequality and redlining, illustrations and descriptions, from a 1939 FHA report that highlights the Meadowbrook neighborhood and surrounding areas. Illustrating the degree to which the federal government backed mortgages and reported with direct racism is important. There will be plenty of time for fun stories and intrigue about the development of the neighborhood over the next 30 years from 1936 to 1966 and its historic residents, but very important to address the initial advertisements as a "restricted residential community" and why that specific language was used.

Source for discovering other red-lined neighborhoods in North Plainfield, visit and explore: https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/#loc=5/39.1/-94.58

Here is a link to a pdf incase the next few images are difficult to read on screen:

https://tinyurl.com/MeadowbrookFHAMaps

From this map we're going to view reports for areas B31, which is Meadowbrook located north of the county line , the Green Brook (solid black and dashed line) and west of Farragut Road along Brook Ave.

Next we'll look at the yellow area C43 which includes the Gate House on Front Street - note this section is graded the same as Farragut Place and what is today the East Elementary School.

And finally the red section D23...

And while these exact ratings do not exist concretely, they are nonetheless embedded in history and impact our present day boundaries of county lines, zip codes, and more recently, opportunity zones.