1951 Map of Belvoir

About this map

The Fort Belvoir Military Reservation and the sprawling Department of Corrections (District of Columbia) grounds dominate this mid-century portrait of the Potomac shoreline. The landscape is a transition between military utility and deep Virginian history, where modern infrastructure like the Richmond Fredericksburg and Potomac RR and the Shirley Memorial Highway cuts through areas defined by older landmarks. Local genealogy and history are preserved in the naming of numerous family and commemorative woods, such as Alexander Woods and Armistead Woods, alongside prominent estates like Gunston Hall and Woodlawn Mansion. Along the complex network of inlets including Pohick Bay and Gunston Cove, small settlements like Colchester and Gray Hill Village sit near rural institutions such as Shiloh Ch and Cranford Memorial Ch.