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1919 Map of Charleston

Name: 1919 Topographic Map of Charleston
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1919
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1919

About this map

The dense urban grid of Charleston occupies the peninsula between the Ashley River and Cooper River, shown here just after the First World War. This landscape is defined by its deep-water naval and military infrastructure, most notably the U S Naval Reservation and the Navy Yard further north. The coastal defenses at the harbor entrance include the legendary Fort Sumter, Fort Johnson, and the island battery at Castle Pinckney.

Beyond the city core, the map tracks early 20th-century suburban development and industrial expansion along the rail corridors. Landmarks such as Magnolia Cem and St Lawrence Cem sit just outside the urban boundary, while northern settlements like Myers and the mile-marked stations of Sixmile House and Fourmile House suggest a landscape still transitioning from rural estates to industrial sites. To the east, across the Wando River, Mt Pleasant remains relatively sparse, while the western banks of the Ashley River show the historic sites of Old Town and Albemarle.