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1956 Map of Brandywine

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Brandywine
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

Boys Village of Maryland and the expansive Cedarville State Forest anchor the rural landscape of southern Maryland during the mid-1950s. This survey reveals a region defined by agricultural crossroads and significant federal installations, including the U S Military Reservation Globecom Radio Receiving Station and a U S Naval Reservation near the headwaters of Piscataway Creek. The Pennsylvania Railroad cuts through the territory, passing near Cheltenham and Brandywine, which serve as local hubs for the surrounding farmsteads.

Evidence of early community life is visible in the network of country churches and schools, such as St Thomas Church and Cedarville Sch. The southern portion of the map is dominated by the woodlands of the state forest, where named paths like Bee Oak Trail and Magnolia Trail wind through the headwaters of Zekiah Swamp Run. This detailed record captures a period of transition, showing traditional settlements like Baden and Horsehead alongside the specialized infrastructure of the Cold War era.