1977 Map of Browns Cove

About this map

Browns Cove and its surrounding mountain valleys are captured in this orthophotograph, reflecting the rural character of western Albemarle County in the late 1970s. The landscape is defined by the steep slopes of the Blue Ridge and Big Flat Mountain, where the famous Skyline Drive follows the high crest. Below the ridges, clearings for agriculture and small settlements like Mountfair and Doylesville occupy the more level ground near the water. The drainage of the North Fork Doyles River and the Doyles River dominates the central valley, while the Charlottesville Reservoir and the Moormans River are visible in the southern portion of the sheet. This aerial view provides a stark contrast between the forested wilderness of the mountain peaks and the cultivated farmsteads tucked into the river bottoms.