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1953 Map of Charles City

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Charles City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1960
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1960

About this map

The James River and the Chickahominy River define this colonial heartland, where centuries of Virginia history are etched into the landscape. Along the north bank of the James, famous estates such as Westover, Evelynton Plantation, and Berkeley sit among the many bends and reaches, including Threemile Reach. To the south, in Prince George County, the map records Flowerdeu Hundred and Merchant Hope Ch, surrounded by early drainage networks like Chappell Creek.

Tracing the inland routes like Courthouse Road and Battlefield Road, the settlement pattern reveals a transition from these river-dependent plantations to the rail-based commerce of the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad. Evidence of rural community life is dense, from the Samaria Indian Sch to crossroads like Ruthville and Roxbury. Civil War significance is noted at Malvern Hill and the National Cemetery near Glendale, alongside older landmarks like Blanks Tavern and the ruins at Fort Powhatan.