Loading map...

1955 Map of Bowers Hill

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Bowers Hill
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

The Western Branch of the Elizabeth River dominates this mid-1950s landscape, serving as a focal point for burgeoning residential developments like Sterling Point and Park Manor. The map reveals a transition from the agricultural and tidal landscapes of Knotts Neck toward the industrial and infrastructure corridors near Bowers Hill. Five different railroad lines, including the Virginian and Seaboard Air Line, converge in the southern sector, illustrating the region's importance as a transportation hub.

Further south, the landscape shifts dramatically as the drainage of Goose Creek gives way to the dense, northern fringes of the Dismal Swamp. Local civic life is well-documented through numerous rural landmarks such as the Pughsville School, Union Bethel Church, and the Portsmouth Airfield. The presence of the Elizabeth Manor Golf and Country Club and a Drive-in Theater near Haddonfield signals the post-war suburban shift occurring along the boundary of Nansemond and Norfolk counties.