1973 Map of Brownfield

About this map

Chestnut Ridge dominates this 1973 landscape, acting as a massive geological barrier between the industrial valley settlements and the high timberlands of Forbes State Forest. The map documents a region defined by extraction and early industry, from the early iron heritage at Oliphant Furnace and Wharton Furnace to the contemporary presence of active Strip Mines. In the northwest, the suburban expansion of Hopwood, Meadowbrook, and Brownfield presses against the mountainside, while high-altitude landmarks like Laurel Caverns and the Pondfield 2 Lookout Tower provide orientation along the ridge line. The transition from rail-served heavy industry along the Penn Central and Baltimore and Ohio lines to the managed wilds of State Game Lands No 138 is clearly visible, illustrating the complex land-use patterns of Fayette County.