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1951 Map of Beltsville

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Beltsville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1951
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

The National Agricultural Research Center and the sprawling Naval Ordnance Laboratory dominate this landscape during a period of transition between the postwar suburbs and the rural dairy and tobacco roots of the region. This 1951 record shows a dense network of early schools and institutions, including the Ammendale Normal Institute, Briarley Military Academy, and Xaverian College, indicating the area's importance as an educational and research corridor between Washington and Baltimore.

Prominent transportation routes like Columbia Road and Baltimore Boulevard connect established settlements such as Beltsville, Burtonsville, and Fairland. Along the waterways of Paint Branch and Little Paint Branch, researchers can find specific local landmarks like the Cedarcroft Sanitarium and the Willis Filter Plant. The terrain is characterized by numerous small branches feeding the Patuxent River, with the Burtonsville Fire Tower standing as a high-point lookout over the evolving Montgomery and Prince George's county line.