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1978 Map of Charles Town

Name: 1978 Topographic Map of Charles Town
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1991
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1991

About this map

The Shenandoah River and Potomac River converge at the historic meeting point of West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia, anchoring a landscape shaped by early transport and industry. The lower Shenandoah Valley here is dominated by the twin cities of Charles Town and Ranson, with the Charles Town Racetrack serving as a major local landmark. To the northeast, the heights of Harpers Ferry look down upon the confluence and the C & O Canal, where Lock No. 35 and Lock No. 36 remain as evidence of the nineteenth-century waterway economy.

Rail infrastructure remains vital to the region's character, with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the Norfolk and Western Railroad intersecting at Shenandoah Junction. Away from the riverbanks, the terrain is marked by numerous quarries near Millville and Bakerton, and local history is preserved at sites like John Browns Cave and the Civilian Conservation Center. Rural communities such as Halltown, Duffields, and Uvilla are connected by historic routes like Keys Ferry Road, while the Appalachian Trail winds along the eastern ridge toward Purcell Knob.