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1941 Map of Black Mountain

Name: 1941 Topographic Map of Black Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

The Blue Ridge Divide anchors this detailed 1941 survey, showing the complex topography where the Tennessee Valley meets the headwaters of the Catawba River and the Broad River. This landscape is defined by its transition from institutional development to wilderness, featuring the Fellowship Sanatorium, Mountain Orphanage, and State Hospital near Black Mountain. These facilities, along with the Blue Ridge YMCA Camp, reflect the early 20th-century character of this region as a center for healthcare and retreats.

Infrastructure like the Southern Railway and U.S. 70 navigate the steep grades of Swannanoa Gap, a critical transportation corridor. High peaks such as High Windy with its Lookout Tower and Kitsuma Peak overlook a terrain dotted with rural congregations like Elizabeth Chapel and Tabernacle Ch. Later 1969 revisions in purple document the introduction of Interstate 40, tracing the evolution of mountain travel through the gaps.