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1944 Map of Blue Ridge Summit

Name: 1944 Topographic Map of Blue Ridge Summit
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1944
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1944

About this map

Blue Ridge Summit and the surrounding South Mountain communities define this 1944 survey, produced during a pivotal wartime era. The Western Maryland railroad winds through the complex topography, connecting settlements like Pen Mar, Charmian, and Highfield along the border of Maryland and Pennsylvania. A notable concentration of military and institutional sites is evident, including the sprawl of Camp Ritchie and the Sanatorium near Sabillasville.

Southward, the landscape transitions toward the Catoctin mountains, where the National Park Service Area Office oversees land near Cunningham Falls and Wolf Rock. The map records a rural network of education and industry, from the Monterey School in the north to Thurmont at the foot of the range. Numerous camps, such as Camp Airy, and local landmarks like the Blue Ridge L O Tower illustrate the mid-century development of this highland region.